Border Nation: A Story of Migration

From the refugee crisis to the 'hostile environment', what do borders look and feel like in Brexit Britain?

Borders are more than geographical lines. They have an impact on all of our lives, whether it's the fallout from Brexit or the inhumanity of a detention centre. In Border Nation, Leah Cowan shows how borders are violent, oppressive and must be resisted. Looking back, we learn of the elitist, colonial and patriarchal origins of borders, explore the vital history of anti-racist, anti-border organising and learn about crossing partitions. Debunking myths around migration, Leah Cowan unpacks the 'hostile environment' and reveals how healthcare crises, terrorism, unemployment and housing shortages are often manipulated by politicians and the media to vilify migrants. As borders grow, migrants are policed and immigration controls are tightened, this book transforms our understanding of borders, migration and our fight for belonging.

Autorentext

Leah Cowan is the former Politics Editor at the award-winning magazine gal-dem. She works at Project 17, an advice centre which supports migrant families with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). She speaks on race, gender and migration, including for UN Women, in the House of Commons, and at the Trade Unions Congress, and has written for VICE, OpenDemocracy and the Guardian.

Klappentext

Together, we can break down borders

Zusammenfassung
Together, we can break down borders

Inhalt

Acknowledgements
Introduction: Why Break Down Borders?
1. In the Shadow of the British Empire
2. Whitewashing and the Myth of the Migrant 'Outsider'
3. Why Should Migrants Contribute?
4. Building Borders Through Headlines and Column Inches
5. Everyday Borders and 'de facto' Border Guards
6. The Violence of Detention and Deportation
7. Big Business and the 'Profit Motive' for Borders
8. Borderlands of Resistance
Conclusion: Living Beyond Borders