Nation of Refuge
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF READING
Abstract
Nation of Refuge explores Britain’s track record of offering a home to refugees and asylum seekers. A history of offering safety to those fleeing persecution in the past is an important feature of British identity narratives, and the Kindertransport is the most well-known example. Yet recent decades have seen a rise in anti-migration measures, which present a real challenge to this element of Britain’s self-image, and bring the British asylum system into conflict with human rights laws. My research programme will stimulate a public conversation about Britain’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers by looking backwards at the last century of British history, considering our present, and reflecting for the future. Do we want to be a nation of refuge, or not?
The programme focuses on three historical junctures, bringing them together to explore differences and continuities. These are 1) the 1930s/1940s (refugees from the Spanish Civil war and Nazism) 2) the 1960s/1970s (Ugandan Asian expulsion), and 3) from 2000 to the present (post-9/11, increasing numbers of people fleeing conflict in the Middle East and climate change, and the ongoing ‘small boats’ phenomenon). These historical studies will critically consider Britain’s image as a ‘nation of refuge’ by evaluating previously underexplored histories and viewpoints of ordinary people, including refugees themselves.
By learning from history, from local communities, and from those with lived experience as refugees, the research will demonstrate that Britain has always responded to refugee and immigration ‘crises’ with debate and division, rather than just warmly open arms, and that this breadth of responses is a crucial part of what makes us a democratic nation. Yet while the narrative of Britain’s history as a ‘nation of refuge’ might not fully live up to critical scrutiny, it has the potential to inspire and unite British society, facing a future which is likely to see ever more global migration resulting from war and climate change. What might a commitment to offering refuge, and protecting human rights, mean for Britain in the years to come? My research will nurture public understanding of Britain’s past as a ‘nation of refuge’, encouraging audiences to reflect about the importance of this role for British national identity, now and in the future. Most importantly, the FLF programme will gather and share the perspectives of refugees themselves, who are usually stereotyped and backgrounded in the dominant discourse by both liberals and conservatives, and will bring them into dialogue with the voices of people without obvious migration backgrounds.
Boasting a hugely diverse foreign-born population (one third of the total) Reading is the ideal place to celebrate the contributions of refugees and migrants to British society, challenging assumptions that they threaten stability. The FLF research will be disseminated via an exhibition at Reading Museum, a digital exhibition, and a free interactive digital narrative delivered in collaboration with Fast Familiar, artists with a track record of producing transformative interactive experiences that make complex subject-matter accessible to diverse communities. By reaching and engaging broad audiences, the programme will change the way that people think about migration by challenging cliches, avoiding ‘us and them’ thinking, and fostering a sense of pride in Britain’s history as a ‘nation of refuge’. A series of academic publications and an international conference will generate interdisciplinary scholarship on the topic, forging international links for future academic collaborations.
The programme focuses on three historical junctures, bringing them together to explore differences and continuities. These are 1) the 1930s/1940s (refugees from the Spanish Civil war and Nazism) 2) the 1960s/1970s (Ugandan Asian expulsion), and 3) from 2000 to the present (post-9/11, increasing numbers of people fleeing conflict in the Middle East and climate change, and the ongoing ‘small boats’ phenomenon). These historical studies will critically consider Britain’s image as a ‘nation of refuge’ by evaluating previously underexplored histories and viewpoints of ordinary people, including refugees themselves.
By learning from history, from local communities, and from those with lived experience as refugees, the research will demonstrate that Britain has always responded to refugee and immigration ‘crises’ with debate and division, rather than just warmly open arms, and that this breadth of responses is a crucial part of what makes us a democratic nation. Yet while the narrative of Britain’s history as a ‘nation of refuge’ might not fully live up to critical scrutiny, it has the potential to inspire and unite British society, facing a future which is likely to see ever more global migration resulting from war and climate change. What might a commitment to offering refuge, and protecting human rights, mean for Britain in the years to come? My research will nurture public understanding of Britain’s past as a ‘nation of refuge’, encouraging audiences to reflect about the importance of this role for British national identity, now and in the future. Most importantly, the FLF programme will gather and share the perspectives of refugees themselves, who are usually stereotyped and backgrounded in the dominant discourse by both liberals and conservatives, and will bring them into dialogue with the voices of people without obvious migration backgrounds.
Boasting a hugely diverse foreign-born population (one third of the total) Reading is the ideal place to celebrate the contributions of refugees and migrants to British society, challenging assumptions that they threaten stability. The FLF research will be disseminated via an exhibition at Reading Museum, a digital exhibition, and a free interactive digital narrative delivered in collaboration with Fast Familiar, artists with a track record of producing transformative interactive experiences that make complex subject-matter accessible to diverse communities. By reaching and engaging broad audiences, the programme will change the way that people think about migration by challenging cliches, avoiding ‘us and them’ thinking, and fostering a sense of pride in Britain’s history as a ‘nation of refuge’. A series of academic publications and an international conference will generate interdisciplinary scholarship on the topic, forging international links for future academic collaborations.