This
book examines how and why liberalism and human rights have proven
insufficient to protect immigrants. Contemporary immigration systems are
characterized by increasing complexity and expanding enforcement, and
frequently criticized for violating human rights and for causing death,
exclusion and exploitation. The ‘migrant crisis’ can also be understood
as a crisis of hospitality for liberal democracies. Through analysis of
the immigration histories and political dynamics of Britain and the US,
the book explains how these two archetypal liberal states have both
sought to create a hostile environment for unwanted immigrants. The book
provides a fresh and original perspective on the development of
immigration systems, showing how they have become subject to the
politics of fear and greed, and revealing how different traditions of
hospitality have evolved, survived, and renewed.
