The Refuge and the Fortress deals with British attitudes towards people fleeing racial, religious or political persecution in their own country. Current prejudice against asylum seekers is not new. It echoes much of the rhetoric that greeted Jewish refugees from Tsarist pogroms at the turn of the 20th century, and those escaping Hitler in the 1930s. But this only tells half the story. As well as rejection and hostility, there has always been a characteristically British generosity and kindness towards those who have suffered cruelty and injustice. The book tries to make sense of these conflicting responses. At times, it seems, Britain offers a tale of two countries - the xenophobic and the open-hearted. The aim of the book is to make sense of these apparent contradictions, through direct testimonies of refugees and their descendants over the past 75 years. In doing so, we can also gain an insight into the elusive quality of what it means to be British - a question which is now at the centre of much social and political debate.
Longlisted for the Orwell Prize 2009
'This is a story of tragedy and triumph: tragedy, in the expulsion of eminent scholars from their home countries; triumph, in their rescue by CARA to achieve even greater renown in this country.' - The Right Honourable Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Senior Law Lord
'This book is an exhortation for all of us to work harder to ensure that people arriving in our country seeking asylum are treated with fairness, humanity, and in accordance with international law.' - Dr Astrid Bonfield, Chief Executive, The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
'This is a stimulating book that should be read by all who mask the truth behind sensationalist headlines.' - Julia Pascal, The Independent
'Seabrook writes with his usual blazing honesty and absorbing detail.' – Illtyd Harrington, Islington Tribune
'...an informative overview of official policies and attitudes towards refugees over the last century.' - Times Literary Supplement
'A challenging and illuminating read.' - Choice Magazine
'...an interesting and useful book which may help provide readers with new arguments against the myth of "soft-touch Britain"'. - Jo Wilding, Peace News
'Jeremy Seabrook's The Refuge and the Fortress surveys the UK's role as a place of asylum since the 1930s and provides a probing analysis of the challenges faced by scholarly refugees in the globalised 21st century...Seabrook's evocative and often chilling life histories of the society's beneficiaries provide a powerful reminder of the costs of Fortress Britain's reluctance to welcome victims of contemporary extremist regimes. The sheer waste of academic talent that ensues - for the UK and the wider world - is sobering.' - Margot Finn, Times Higher Education
List of Illustrations
Foreword
Acknowledgements
A Note on the Text
Introduction
PART I: ACADEMIC REFUGEES
PART II: THEN
PART III: UNTIL
Eastern Europe
Southern Africa
West and North-Western Africa
PART IV: NOW
Africa
The Caucusus, Iran, Central Asia and the Far East
The Journey to Safety
Conclusion
Bibliography
JEREMY SEABROOK is a former teacher, social worker, journalist and playwright, contributor to the Guardian, New Internationalist and the Statesman in Kolkata. He is the author of 40 books, dealing with social and economic justice and international development. Among the most recent are Children of Other Worlds (child labour), Travels in the Sex Trade (sex tourism), Love in a Different Climate (same-sex relationships, India), Consuming Cultures,( globalization and local lives).
Description
The Refuge and the Fortress deals with British attitudes towards people fleeing racial, religious or political persecution in their own country. Current prejudice against asylum seekers is not new. It echoes much of the rhetoric that greeted Jewish refugees from Tsarist pogroms at the turn of the 20th century, and those escaping Hitler in the 1930s. But this only tells half the story. As well as rejection and hostility, there has always been a characteristically British generosity and kindness towards those who have suffered cruelty and injustice. The book tries to make sense of these conflicting responses. At times, it seems, Britain offers a tale of two countries - the xenophobic and the open-hearted. The aim of the book is to make sense of these apparent contradictions, through direct testimonies of refugees and their descendants over the past 75 years. In doing so, we can also gain an insight into the elusive quality of what it means to be British - a question which is now at the centre of much social and political debate.
Reviews
Longlisted for the Orwell Prize 2009
'This is a story of tragedy and triumph: tragedy, in the expulsion of eminent scholars from their home countries; triumph, in their rescue by CARA to achieve even greater renown in this country.' - The Right Honourable Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Senior Law Lord
'This book is an exhortation for all of us to work harder to ensure that people arriving in our country seeking asylum are treated with fairness, humanity, and in accordance with international law.' - Dr Astrid Bonfield, Chief Executive, The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
'This is a stimulating book that should be read by all who mask the truth behind sensationalist headlines.' - Julia Pascal, The Independent
'Seabrook writes with his usual blazing honesty and absorbing detail.' – Illtyd Harrington, Islington Tribune
'...an informative overview of official policies and attitudes towards refugees over the last century.' - Times Literary Supplement
'A challenging and illuminating read.' - Choice Magazine
'...an interesting and useful book which may help provide readers with new arguments against the myth of "soft-touch Britain"'. - Jo Wilding, Peace News
'Jeremy Seabrook's The Refuge and the Fortress surveys the UK's role as a place of asylum since the 1930s and provides a probing analysis of the challenges faced by scholarly refugees in the globalised 21st century...Seabrook's evocative and often chilling life histories of the society's beneficiaries provide a powerful reminder of the costs of Fortress Britain's reluctance to welcome victims of contemporary extremist regimes. The sheer waste of academic talent that ensues - for the UK and the wider world - is sobering.' - Margot Finn, Times Higher Education
Contents
List of Illustrations
Foreword
Acknowledgements
A Note on the Text
Introduction
PART I: ACADEMIC REFUGEES
PART II: THEN
PART III: UNTIL
Eastern Europe
Southern Africa
West and North-Western Africa
PART IV: NOW
Africa
The Caucusus, Iran, Central Asia and the Far East
The Journey to Safety
Conclusion
Bibliography
Authors
JEREMY SEABROOK is a former teacher, social worker, journalist and playwright, contributor to the Guardian, New Internationalist and the Statesman in Kolkata. He is the author of 40 books, dealing with social and economic justice and international development. Among the most recent are Children of Other Worlds (child labour), Travels in the Sex Trade (sex tourism), Love in a Different Climate (same-sex relationships, India), Consuming Cultures,( globalization and local lives).
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