Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain

All across the globe people flee their homes in search of safety; in particular, we know that children move in great numbers. This book spotlights the experiences of these child refugees in modern British history for the first time. From Somalia and Syria to East London and the Isle of Bute, this book charts the experiences of children who migrated to Britain, sometimes accompanied by loved ones and other times completely alone, from 1930 to the present day. It explores their motivations, trials and achievements, and provides critical insight into how the British – both on an individual and collective level – have welcomed and shunned vulnerable refugees over the years. Most importantly, Eithne Nightingale links these rich stories of child migration from history with contemporary issues such as Britain’s Nationality and Borders Bill, Brexit and the European refugee crisis, making it vital reading for both historians of modern Britain and scholars of migration and human rights more broadly. Expertly situated in its historical and political context, Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain is a carefully-curated and urgently-needed collection of oral histories from child refugees who arrived in Britain over the last 100 years.