Citation

Ibrahim Y, Howarth A. Polit. Policy 2018; 46(3): 348-391.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Policy Studies Organization (USA), Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/polp.12254

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article traces the U.K.'s tepid response to the recent refugee crisis confronting Europe today and reviews Britain's approach to provide sanctuary from its ideological/historical origins to its policy enactments over time (1905-2016). That approach resonates with the deep tensions the issue of immigration raises within the nation state and the intense uncoupling of refuge and sanctuary from its humanitarian initiatives. We juxtapose the U.K. government's engagement with the refugee crisis against its "tradition of humanitarianism" in which Britain has idealized itself as sanctuary to those who have fled from persecution, torture, or conflict. This historic ideal of refuge has been challenged with numerous immigration and asylum-related policies as well as increased securitization of border controls in response to the changing political context since 1905. We argue that "sanctuary" is a diminished and contentious component of its present-day humanitarianism involving increased securitization and asylum policies with stringent immigration controls. We trace the U.K.'s harsh and restrictive stance toward the refugee and the asylum seeker through a series of policies from the Aliens Act in 1905 to the Dubs Amendment of 2016 which seek to delegitimize refugees, enact tighter barriers to entry, and cast them as economic "migrants" and as suspect figures in a post-9/11 world. Related Articles: Duman, Yoav H. 2014. "Reducing the Fog? Immigrant Regularization and the State." Politics & Policy 42 (2): 187-220. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12065/abstract. McKay, Fiona H., Lucy Hall, and Kehla Lippi. 2017. "Compassionate Deterrence: A Howard Government Legacy." Politics & Policy 45 (2): 169-193. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12198/abstract. Silverman, Stephanie J. 2012. "'Regrettable but Necessary?' A Historical and Theoretical Study of the Rise of the U.K. Immigration Detention Estate and Its Opposition." Politics & Policy 40 (6): 1131-1157. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00393.x/abstract. Related Media: Gentleman, Amelia. 2015. "'What Crime Have I Committed to be Held Like This?': Yarl's Wood." The Guardian. March 3. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/mar/03/inside-yarls-wood-detention-centre-asylum-seekers-abuse-suicide. Polachowska, Maria. 2012. "Kindertransport: A Journey to Life." BBC Newsnight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqP0uVSj3bQ. UNHCR. 2017. "Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2016." http://www.unhcr.org/uk/statistics/unhcrstats/5943e8a34/global-trends-forced-displacement-2016.html. © 2018 Policy Studies Organization

Language: en

Keywords

European Union; Europe; United Kingdom; Refugees; Great Britain; Migration; 1905-2016; Aliens 1905; Asylum Seekers; Border Control; Border Controls; Brexit; British Immigration History; Calais; Calais Jungle; Humanitarian Crisis; Humanitarianism; Immigration Policy; Othering; Racialized Discourse; Refuge; Refugee Crisis; Sanctuary; Theresa May