ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out the context for the recent histories of migration in London within its postcolonial history, the on-going impact of military conflicts and the so-called ‘war on terror’ and the question of European integration that led ultimately to the referendum in 2016 and the decision to leave the EU. We also discuss the ways in which London’s diversity is read in politically contrasting ways. We show how immigration controls and surveillance are becoming insourced involving a wide range people from landlords and employers to public servants, outsourced to private companies and mediated through a range of information technologies.
