Strangers into Citizens stories. An account of what life in the UK is like for irregular migrants (Website)

Citizen Organising Foundation

2006 London

Other

English

An account of what life in the UK is like for irregular migrants.

14 personal stories told by individuals from a range of countries and backgrounds including the Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Bolivia, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

‘Strangers into Citizens’ is a national campaign by the Citizen Organising Foundation (an alliance of faith and community organizations in London and Birmingham) calling for a one-off regularisation of long-term irregular migrants in the UK. The campaign aims to make the wider public understand the hardships irregular migrants face.

There are an estimated 500,000 irregular migrants in the UK. They face exploitation and uncertainty. They want to work, integrate and be able to contribute to life in the UK as full members of society. Irregular migrants are made up of three different groups, failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers and those that entered the UK without claiming asylum or going through the immigration procedures.

http://www.strangersintocitizens.org.uk/pages/the-campaign/stories.htm

Liz Peadon

CREDS, Cambridgeshire County Council

Tutor/Researcher