This book establishes asylum seekers as a socially excluded group. It provides an overview of historic and contemporary dispersal systems, and it investigates the policy of dispersing asylum seekers across the UK and how this dispersal impacts their lives. It argues that deterrent asylum policies increase the sense of liminality experienced by individuals. The book challenges assumptions that asylum seekers should be socially excluded until they receive refugee status, and it illustrates how asylum seekers create their own sense of 'belonging' in the absence of official recognition.

Will Somerville presents a comprehensive account of immigration policy since 1997, providing an in-depth account of policy and legislation since Tony Blair and New Labour were first elected.

This open access book describes how the numerous arrivals of asylum seekers since 2015 shaped reception and integration processes in Europe. It addresses the structuration of asylum and reception systems, and spaces and places of reception on European, national, regional and local level. It also analyses perceptions and discourses on asylum and refugees, their evolvement and the consequences for policy development. Furthermore, it examines practices and policy developments in the field of refugee reception and integration. The volume shows and explains a variety of refugee reception and integration strategies and practices as specific outcome of multilevel governance processes in Europe. By addressing and contextualizing those multiple experiences of asylum seeker reception, the book is a valuable contribution to the literature on migration and integration, societal development and political culture in Europe.

Reads Victorian literature and science as artful practices that surpass the theories and discourses supposed to contain them

This book traces the ancient concept of sanctuary. It examines how the contemporary sanctuary city movement contributes to a hostile asylum regime by holding asylum seekers in a suspended state where rights are indefinitely deferred. At the same time, it explores myriad subversive practices challenging this waiting state.

This is the first book to focus on how racism affects the housing choices available to black and other ethnic minority groups and how this contributes to social exclusion. Using a practical approach, the contributors analyse the implications of social exclusion, offering suggestions for good practice in the allocation of housing for black and other ethnic minority groups. 'Race', Housing and Social Exclusion shows how racism and the shortage of housing workers from black and other ethnic minorities constrain the choices available to these groups, thereby preventing them from having an active role in society. Each chapter investigates a different aspect of the situation that black and other ethnic minority groups face, including: Their housing needs The procedure of the allocation of housing Patterns of housing settlement of black and other ethnic minority groups The employment of black and other ethnic minority staff in housing associations. This book also gives examples of the experiences and aspirations of black and other ethnic minority groups and relates them to subjects such as cultural differences within and among black and other ethnic minority groups, and the further social exclusion which arises from housing associations which help a specific ethnic minority group. `Race', Housing and Social Exclusion challenges existing views, which are based on broad generalisations of black and other ethnic minority groups, and also points to future policy making and strategic planning.

Despite increased political and public interest in asylum issues in the UK, little has been written on the topic. This book, written by leading experts in the field, is the first to examine the role of refugee community organisations (RCOs) at a critical point of policy change.