very ▁was ▁illegal ▁but ▁the ▁state ▁needed ▁cheap ▁labour . ▁ ▁Hence , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁the ▁British ▁Government ▁implemented ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Island ers ' ▁Prote ction ▁Act ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁which ▁out lined ▁the ▁minimum ▁standards ▁for ▁importing ▁" indent ured ▁labour ers ". ▁ ▁The ▁Act ▁may ▁or ▁may ▁not ▁have ▁helped ▁improve ▁standards ▁ab o ard ▁ship , ▁as ▁its ▁principal ▁purpose ▁was ▁to ▁license ▁operators ▁and ▁their ▁human ▁cargo . ▁ ▁Later ▁revis ions ▁of ▁the ▁Act ▁focused ▁on ▁making ▁it ▁more ▁difficult ▁for ▁the ▁trade ▁to ▁continue ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁pl ight ▁of ▁the ▁Island ers ▁themselves . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁the ▁Act ▁was ▁am ended ▁for ▁the ▁third ▁time ▁so ▁that ▁no ▁more ▁lic ences ▁would ▁be ▁issued , ▁however ▁pl um met ing ▁prof its ▁in ▁the ▁sugar ▁industry ▁saw ▁the ▁am end ment ▁ret ract ed ▁so ▁the ▁trade ▁in ▁cheap ▁labour ▁could ▁continue . ▁ ▁Finally ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Island ▁Labour ers ' ▁Act ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁was ▁passed . ▁ ▁Its ▁purpose ▁was ▁to ▁deport ▁the ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁Pacific ▁Island ers ▁working ▁in ▁Australia . ▁A ▁week ▁earlier , ▁the ▁Im m igration ▁Rest riction ▁Act ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁was ▁also ▁passed . ▁ ▁Com b ined , ▁the ▁two ▁Act s ▁prohib ited ▁Pacific ▁Island ers ▁from ▁entering ▁the ▁country ▁after ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁and ▁those ▁who