Internment in the United Kingdom during the First World War facts for kids

During the First World War, the British government first tried to avoid putting many people into internment camps in the United Kingdom. Internment means holding people, often in special camps, especially during wartime. Instead, they mostly limited what people from enemy countries living in the UK could do. Only those thought to be a real threat to national security were interned.

However, after the sinking of the Lusitania ship on May 7, 1915, public feelings against Germans grew very strong. This led to riots across the country. Because of this, the government was forced to start a wider program of internment.

Early Rules for Foreigners

In 1914, about 75,000 people from countries that were now enemies of Britain lived in the UK. When the First World War began, there was worry that these people might spy or cause harm.

To control this, the government passed the Aliens Restriction Act on August 5. This new law made all foreign nationals register with the police. By September 9, nearly 67,000 German, Austrian, and Hungarian people had registered.

Certain areas were very important for national safety, like military bases. These were called "prohibited areas." By November, most of the east and south coasts were also prohibited. Foreigners living in these places needed a special permit. If they didn't get one, they had four days to move away.

People from enemy countries also needed a permit to travel more than five miles from their homes. They were not allowed to have things like signal equipment or carrier pigeons. They also couldn't own cameras, military maps, or cars. At first, the military decided to intern all enemy nationals aged 17 to 42, but this rule was quickly changed.

Widespread Internment Begins

The government's rules about internment changed a lot during the first nine months of the war. At first, they only targeted foreigners who seemed dangerous. But they often stopped these arrests because there weren't enough places to hold people.

By the end of September, over 10,500 enemy nationals were being held. However, between November 1914 and April 1915, fewer arrests were made. In fact, thousands of internees were actually released.

After the Lusitania sank, there were widespread riots in British towns and cities for a week. Almost every shop owned by Germans had its windows broken. Even though the government didn't think enemy nationals still living freely were a military threat, they had to listen to the public.

So, they started a general program of internment. For their own safety, as well as the safety of the British people, all non-naturalised enemy nationals of military age were to be interned. Non-naturalised means they had not become official British citizens. Those who were older than military age were sent back to their home countries.

By 1917, very few enemy nationals were still living freely in Britain. Also, no acts of sabotage had happened since the war began. This allowed the home army to relax its guard on many important places. Only a few truly vital national sites remained under protection.