Kate Callow from the Department of Geography at Durham University is the winner of the 2024 prize for Best Undergraduate Dissertation for their project entitled: Navigating the Hostile Environment: Exploring the Impact of Rising State hostility on Asylum seekers in UK ‘Quasi Detention’ Accommodation. 

Congratulations Kate on a fantastic dissertation! The assessment committee was very impressed by the timely topic and the rigorous development of a well theorized and grounded thesis that critically examines the consequences of the growing state practice of housing refugees in military barracks. The thesis successfully draws from Derrida’ theory of hospitality and expands Kreichauf’s (2018) campization lens to a UK context to develop a convincing multi-method study of the growing hostility manifested in state punitive policies and the ways this is reflected in the housing of asylum seekers in camp like facilities. By also analysing discursive and material acts of resistance to hostility and spaces of hospitality, this dissertation provides an insightful understanding of the topic. We can’t wait to read more of your research!  Overall, the thesis introduces original and timely research. Congratulations and well done Kate!

Dissertation Title: Navigating the Hostile Environment: Exploring the Impact of Rising State hostility on Asylum seekers in UK ‘Quasi Detention’ Accommodation. 

Abstract

Life is Difficult – “I read the opening line and instantly bought it.” 

A community church deacon quoted the first line of A Road Less Travelled by Scott Peck as I travelled with him to a drop-in centre for asylum seekers. The centre comprised a group of young males, many of whom had embarked upon “a road less travelled” in search of refuge in the UK, only to find themselves accommodated in a disused army barrack. After this encounter, I felt compelled to research just how difficult life is for asylum seekers in the UK. This dissertation claims that the UK state’s unwelcome stance towards asylum seekers is increasingly marked by hostility, manifested through more punitive policies and allocation of unsuitable accommodation. First, this dissertation analyses the discourse employed by the UK state, underscoring a hostile environment towards asylum seekers. Second, it builds on the growing trend of repurposing military barracks for camp-like asylum accommodation, by drawing upon secondary reports and semi-structured interviews. Through this exploration, this dissertation uncovers the repercussions of the UK’s hostile environment on the lived experience of asylum seekers housed in military barracks. Finally, this research examines both discursive and material acts of resistance to this inhospitable accommodation, and proposes an alternative, hospitable environment based on compassion and welcoming this vulnerable population. To conclude, this dissertation argues that the UK state’s increasingly hostile environment undermines the wellbeing of asylum seekers living in military barracks and necessitates urgent reform to uphold the principles of humanity and equality in society.