1650s, noun of action from immigrate. As "immigrants collectively," from 1852. As short for "immigration authorities," from 1966.
Entries linking to immigration
immigrate v.
"to pass into a place as a new inhabitant or resident," especially "to move to a country where one is not a native, for the purpose of settling permanently there," 1620s, from Latin immigratus, past participle of immigrare "to remove, go into, move in," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + migrare "to move" (see migration). Related: Immigrated; immigrating.
in-migration n.
1942, American English, in reference to movement within the same country (as distinguished from immigration), from in (prep.) + migration.