Why now?

A refugee is a human being

Once a safe haven for those fleeing war, torture and rape, the UK recently brought in new legislation that will make it harder for genuine asylum seekers to find refuge on British soil.

The Nationality and Borders Act (April 2022) will allow the UK government to turn away refugees deemed to have arrived in the country ‘illegally’.

This could be because they arrived by crossing the English Channel on a boat, or simply because they travelled through other ‘safe’ countries before they got to the UK.

If deemed an illegal immigrant, genuine asylum seekers could be detained indefinitely, shipped to Rwanda for processing, sent to another European country or deported to their country of origin.

Through heartbreaking interviews and inspiring music, this film tells the experiences of those navigating the UK’s asylum system after surviving brutal persecution in their home countries.

Many arrived in the UK in ways that could be deemed ‘illegal’ under Britain’s new immigration laws. None had a choice.

There are few reliable safe routes to the UK from places like Iran and the DRC, and none that can process asylum requests at the speed needed when people face sudden personal trauma and/or immediate threats to life.

What the British government might consider ‘safe’ European countries also have a history of brutality and violence towards migrants, forcing many to move on in search of safety and security.