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Colonial administration files
The Foreign Office will be making available to the public a large collection of files from former British territories, sometimes known as the "migrated archives". The files will be made available between April 2012 and November 2013.
The Foreign Secretary made a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 5 May about these colonial administration files held by the FCO and subsequently informed Parliament on 30 June that he had appointed Professor Badger from Cambridge University as the Independent Reviewer.
Professor Badger has approved a timetable for the transfer of the migrated archive files to The National Archives (TNA). The first batch of files, representing around 16% of the total collection, is expected to be available at TNA in April 2012.
The files are being transferred in alphabetical order ofa the colonial territory concerned with the exception of prioritised release for Kenya, Cyprus, British India Ocean Territories (BIOT) and Malaya files where there has been particular interest.
Transfer timetable
| Territory |
Expected availability at the National Archives |
| Aden |
April 2012 |
| Anguilla |
April 2012 |
| Bahamas |
April 2012 |
| Basutoland |
April 2012 - July 2012 |
| Bechuanaland |
April 2012 |
| British Indian Ocean Territories |
April 2012 |
| Brunei |
April 2012 |
| Cameroons |
July 2012 |
| Ceylon |
July 2012 - April 2013 |
| Cyprus |
April 2012 - September 2013 |
| Fiji |
July 2012 |
| Gambia |
July 2012 |
| Gilbert & Ellice Islands |
July 2012 |
| Gold Coast |
July 2012 |
| Jamaica |
September 2012 |
| Kenya |
April 2012 - November 2012 |
| Malaya |
April 2012 |
| Malta |
September 2012 - September 2013 |
| Mauritius |
April 2013 |
| New Hebrides |
April 2013 |
| Nigeria |
April 2013 |
| Northern Rhodesia |
April 2013 |
| Nyasaland |
April 2013 |
| Palestine |
April 2013 |
| Sarawak/Brunei | April 2012 |
| Sierra Leone |
April 2013 |
| Singapore |
April 2013 - September 2013 |
| Solomons (BSIP) |
September 2013 |
| Southern Rhodesia |
September 2013 |
| Swaziland |
September 2013 |
| Tanganyika |
September 2013 - November 2013 |
| Trinidad |
November 2013 |
| Turks & Caicos |
November 2013 |
| Uganda |
November 2013 |
| West Indies |
November 2013 |
| Western Pacific |
November 2013 |
| Zanzibar |
November 2013 |
Note: Final confirmed dates will be published shortly before the files become publicly available.
Frequently asked questions on the files:
Why has the FCO waited until now to transfer the files?These colonial administration files, sometimes known as the “migrated archive”, were the subject of a review commissioned by the Foreign Secretary which looked into the nature of the files and their past handling by the FCO.
Why are files from some former colonial territories being released in a number of batches?
In some cases, it is possible to release all of the files for a particular territory in a single batch. However, this is not always possible because of the number of files from some territories. Where the timetable indicates release over an extended period, this means that the files for that territory will become available in a number of separate batches. This approach ensures that files are available as soon as they have been prepared for public release.
Why will it takes two years to transfer the files?
The transfer of such a large collection of files involves a significant amount of work by both FCO and TNA staff. The transfer process from FCO to TNA includes the review of files for any residual sensitivity, physical preparation to ensure minimal deterioration over time, and the cataloguing of files so they can be identified via the TNA Catalogue. Further information on the UK public records system is available on the TNA Website.
Will any of these colonial files be destroyed?
No, all of the files in the FCO’s possession will be transferred to the TNA.
How much information from these files will be withheld by the FCO?
On average, the FCO only withholds 1% of the information contained in files eligible for transfer to the TNA. Any such redactions (blocking of content) are only carried out using legal exemptions and these redactions are subject to external scrutiny. Redactions for the colonial archive files will be kept to an absolute minimum.
How will the transfer of files to The National Archives be overseen?
The Foreign Secretary has appointed Professor Tony Badger, Paul Mellon Professor of American history and Master of Clare College at the University of Cambridge, to provide independent oversight of the transfer. The Foreign Secretary described the role of the independent reviewer in a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 30 June 2011. The transfer of colonial files (as with all public records) is also subject to scrutiny by the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.
