The Political Economy of Merchants

 

Merchants operating in foreign countries could face a variety of challenges. The receptiveness of the host government was one such issue. If the host country's government was hostile to foreign mercantile activity, laws could be created to prevent entry to the country. In some cases, the immigration laws were worded in such a loose fashion that the government could arbitrarily choose to eject any undesirable immigrants. 

Here in this excerpt, during the 1930s and 40s, the British colonial government of Northern Rhodesia created legal conditions permitting the subjective application of immigration laws barring entry. Much of the time, such stringent immigration laws were put into effect where economic competition created tensions between the host country and commercial migrants, such as foreign merchants.