14 June 1913
On 14 June 1913, the first Immigration Regulation Act, which limited the free movement of Asians, and restricted their entry into the country, was passed in South Africa. The Act was prejudiced on the basis of national origin, race, gender and class. In the 1930s the Act was extended to not only targeting Africans, but also people from Central and Eastern Europe.
Five months down the line (November 1913), Mahatma Gandhi was confronted by Security police as he led striking Indian mineworkers, protesting the Immigration Act, from Newcastle to the Transvaal.
References:
Anon, (1999), ‘Beyond Control: Immigration and human rights In a democratic South Africa,’from African Affairs, [online] Available at www.afraf.oxfordjournals.org,[ Last accessed: 16 May 2011]pp 261.