Anywhere But Here: Stories of the Search for Belonging in Modern Britain

by Nicola Kelly

'A copy should be on every desk not just in the Home Office, but throughout government. A brilliant and hugely timely book.' Caroline Lucas, author of Another England

What is it like to arrive on our shores with nothing and be pushed to the margins of society?

Who stands to gain from an asylum system that is intentionally hostile?

Anywhere But Here is a powerful exposé of Britain's broken asylum system and how it fails us all.

Each year tens of thousands of people risk their lives to cross the Channel in small boats hoping to find safety in Britain. Yet the very system designed to protect them has all but collapsed.

With unique and unparalleled access, award-winning journalist and former Home Office insider Nicola Kelly takes us behind the scenes of the small boats crisis for the first time.

We follow the under-resourced coastguard overseeing search and rescue operations in the Channel. The decision-makers hired from McDonald's and Aldi to conduct 'life and death' asylum interviews. The immigration barristers securing last-minute reprieves for deportees who narrowly escaped death. And we step inside the Home Office corridors as ministers and advisors respond to emerging crises and scandals, from Windrush to the Rwanda plan.

At its heart are the stories of war-torn arrivals, lone teenagers and trafficked women attempting to settle in cities, towns and villages across the UK. We travel to meet them, exploring where they have fled from and why, and the response of local communities to their new neighbours.

Situated on the beaches and the ports, in the hotels, the courtrooms and the detention centres where the futures of those affected unfold, this is a searing investigation into one of the most urgent issues and shocking injustices of our time

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook

399 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 3, 2025

Reviews

[Laura Fleming (WhatLauraReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Nicola Kelly, Elliott & Thompson, and NetGalley for the ARC of Anywhere But Here.

In this powerful book, Nicola Kelly draws on her experience as a former Home Office employee and journalist to examine the humanitarian crisis caused by the UK’s broken asylum system. She compellingly illustrates how the hostile narrative surrounding asylum seekers serves those in power and obscures the truth.

Kelly brings recent events to life through the voices of those directly involved, from frontline workers and officials to people who have risked everything to make the journey themselves.

Anywhere But Here is equal parts remarkable, eye-opening, and heartbreaking. It’s an essential read.

While reading, I found myself overhearing conversations filled with misinformation about the asylum process, and I recommended this book to everyone I could. I’m genuinely considering carrying extra copies to hand out. I learned so much from this book, and I can’t help but feel frustrated that the people who most need to read it likely never will.

I also have deep respect for Nicola Kelly’s exploration of the UK’s approach to asylum seekers, the rise of racism, and the growing influence of the Reform Party. I’ll admit, I’ve often been quick to shut down conversations by calling out racism directly which, while sometimes necessary, can also close off the chance for meaningful dialogue. Anywhere But Here has given me the tools to engage with these topics more thoughtfully. It’s helped me approach people’s concerns with greater empathy, while grounding my responses in facts and compassion. This shift feels like a powerful step toward changing minds, not just calling out wrongs.

[Georgie Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

the EU and the UK have blood on their hands as they continue to point the blame to so-called gangs, when the actual murderers are those in governments. this book is only the start of what we need, and i wish i could force every single person in the 'West' to read this!

[Miles Procter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really gripping read. Learnt a lot about the system and all its flaws and, importantly and most movingly, of the people harmed by it. Would really recommend, it’s not a long book but I think a very important insight into a system most of us ignore

[Jade Anastasia]

a real must read for everyone in the U.K. especially with the current political climate. I feel like way too many people are informed by rage bait misinformation Facebook posts about immigrants than actual real facts and this book gives you not only that but may real time examples of the whole process of immigration which is dehumanising at best.

This book also touches on the different types of immigrants are perceived and treated in the U.K. which was truly awful to read. From Ukrainian immigrants being welcomed with open arms to hotel staff laughing at and serving rotten food to Sudanese immigrants in hotels.

We really have a lack of humanity problem right now and I can only hope books like this will continue to educate people a little better.

[EL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read, whether you think you know anything about asylum system or not. Nicola Kelly is an angel on Earth and I'm so glad she wrote this book. I feel nothing but empathy, admiration and awe for those who fight their way here for a better life. To those who help and assist asylum seekers in obtaining a better life- you are beautiful people. Thank you for demonstrating that there are good people in the world.
I listened to the audiobook and it did not disappoint. The narrator grabbed me from the offset.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This broke my heart ❤️ so incredibly informative and I cannot believe how much was packed into such a short book. I’ve learnt a lot through reading this book and it’s attached articles and references.

[Clare Suss · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those books that everyone should read but, unfortunately, the people who should read it won't. Reveals the cynical choices made by those in power and the heartbreaking hope and persistence of those seeking asylum

[Bea Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

eeeeveryone should read! so. important and so well written!

[Emma Mullarkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taught me so much about the British asylum process

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Anywhere alongside Small Boat by Vincent Delcroix, pairing fiction and non-fiction accounts of asylum seekers. I wanted to understand the system better, to have a better response when I find myself in those conversations which seek to blame asylum seekers for all the ills of the world.

Firstly I have to tell you how engaging and interesting this book is. Non-fiction can be dry, slower to absorb, but I whizzed through this. In part this is due to the writing, but mainly because the author describes systems, government departments, journeys..through the eyes of individuals. The frustrated coastguard, the desperate Syrian/Albanian/Somalian seeking safety, the frustrated Home Office official, the protester. We have glimpses of Pritti Patel, Farage, Sunak and Yvette Cooper. This approach is powerful, engaging and so effective. So often arguments about asylum seekers are generalised and we don’t perceive the individual experience. In this book we are introduced to people we will deeply care about..

The author follows the journey from leaving home, the crossing, arrival in the UK, temporary accommodation, through to deportation. I learned so much from this book. I have tabbed a million pages. What to tell you? Who to tell you about? A young boy forced into sailing the boat then imprisoned for doing so. A teenager placed in a hostel room with 5 adult males from a different country, speaking a different language. A woman in her 80s who regularly visits and campaigns for their release from detention.

This book frustrated me, made me cry, made me angry, made me despair. I find it hard to believe in Governments of any kind. The amount of money wasted, the bureaucracy and the cruelty are laid out. The appalling decision making behind the Rwanda scheme, Bibby Stockholm, the intransigence and unwillingness to consider enabling migrants to work sooner after their arrival and the appalling betrayal of people in Afghanistan or in the Windrush generation .The dodgy methods of encouraging people to go “home”.

I would like to commend the writer for her courage, eloquence and dedication.” At the end she writes of her sources,” They have shown unimaginable courage when their status was insecure, their futures unknown. All I can hope is that, in return, I did their stories justice.’ YOU ABSOLUTELY DID!

Her experience and credentials for writing such an account are clear; she is an award winning journalist, a former diplomat, an employee of both the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and The Home Office. This experience enables her to offer us a powerful and unique insights and an insider view.

“Attempting the crossing by small boat was regularly likened to crossing the M25 at rush hour on foot.’

“You want my skills, my knowledge, but not my family.”

“What is required is. bold, radical rethink which will amount to an overhaul of the system.”

“We need to remove obstacles, to create safe routes, to secure pathways to a dignified life."

I think everyone should read this!

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

*The title: “Anywhere but Here” is taken from graffiti in the refugee camps in Dunkirk

Nicola Kelly who formerly worked for the Press Office of the Home Office, which is institutionally racist, was afraid of becoming disillusioned of the idea of immigration. She left her job in Marsham Street for investigative journalism, working with NGOs and assisting asylum seekers fight persecution and prosecution in the hope to extend their stay in the UK.

Kelly is not a solicitor or an immigration lawyer, nor doesn’t claim to be an expert. (especially with how quickly the legal framework has changed over the past few years) Her hope in this book is to talk about the people and not the politics, or rather the reality behind the rhetoric. From the small boats, to drones in the channel, Rwanda and the racism, corruption and human rights violations within the detention centres.
You don’t have to be a guardian reading, tofu eating wokerati to appreciate this book and to educate yourself on the immigration crisis and to tune out the far-right.

Anywhere But Here came out this week - Apr 3rd. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Elliott & Thompson for this early release copy.

[Abbys⚔️Book World · Rating 4 out of 5]

The people who should read this book won't!!!

📖 A look into Britain's broken Asylum System and how it fails us all. Kelly explores the injustices human beings experience when fleeing conflict and hardship in search of a better life. For years, Kelly has interviewed Asylum Seekers, and here she gives them a voice and the humanity they deserve.

✨ Review ✨
The UK's Asylum system is intentionally hostile, it's dehumanising, and it's a system in which only the very few at the top gain anything from it. Too many people are informed by misinformation and ragebait, and if you live in the UK, I think this is a must-read, especially in the current political climate.

Here you will not only get real insight into how the system works, as Kelly once worked for the home office, but you will also get insight into the lives of asylum seekers and how they are actually treated.

The lack of humanity within the system is appalling and I hope people will take the time out to actually educate themselves instead of listening to the dumbass who spends all his time in the local pub spewing nonsense.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The way a government treats refugees is very instructive because it shows you how they would treat the rest of us if they thought they could get away with it'
- Fomer Labour MP Tony Benn'

4.5 stars.

Kelly has given a voice to one of the most misrepresented and vulnerable people in the UK with this brilliant account of a book. It highlights the hardships that asylum seekers face from so many parties- from the government, the smuggling gangs, the locals, the grifters, the system in general. At every turn these vulnerable people are the key targets to being exploited.

The most eye-opening discovery I've had while reading is that all the problems faced by these migrants are magnified versions of how the system has failed us all. In one account, a migrant staying at the hotel requiring NHS assistance has been told to stay at home and their injury will get better on it's own. Now, this is not a racist, migrant-specific problem. Living in England, I know that this is something I have heard complaints about first hand from my friends and colleagues. The difference is that we are in the position to live comfortably enough to handle natural recovery. A migrant living in squalid conditions might not have the same luxury.

Migrants are the proverbial canaries in the coal mine for socio-economic problems experienced in this country. Lack of housing, low wages, unsuitable housing conditions, lack of access to NHS services, and lack of access to mental health services are all pain points that must be addressed for everyone. It is most prevalent in our most vulnerable, even without the added vitriol of racism and mishandling by authorities. We turn our nose at their plight because we exempt ourselves for being 'like them (illegal, unwanted)' but we are all one misfortune away from being homeless, not able to work, and unable to receive care.

Kelly's book does well to explain why migrants are the scapegoats about touchy issues like housing, strain on government resources, and benefits. A lot of the anger towards these issues by local residents is not misplaced. I am sure they are fuming at the government as much as the migrant next door. The number tally of people arriving by small boats is still alarming and will continue to eat up resources, but perhaps it is important to consider if an 'effective' solution is worth it if it eats up our humanity.

[Andrew Garvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may read a better non-fiction book this year. But I doubt it. I may read a book that makes me feel this angry and ashamed of the people recently running the country. But I strongly doubt it.

Detailing the experiences of dozens and dozens of people arriving on small boats, along with all the other ways people find themselves stuck in the nightmarish, performatively cruel and ever-changing headline-chasing, panicky, crisis-prone asylum system, Nicola Kelly knows this shambles inside out.

She details her time spent working at the aggressively dysfunctional Home Office, her time as a journalist and her time researching and writing this book, and every few pages, there's something else that's bewildering, heartbreaking, vicious or self-defeatingly stupid. Often, it's all four at once.

The appalling behaviour, attitudes and sheer incompetence of successive Tory Ministers is hardly news but, collected together like this, it's a damning litany of racist failures that should end careers and the party's hopes of returning to government for decades.

This book should be read by everyone with an interest in, or an opinion on, the asylum system. Of course, the people who think the system is 'soft' are the least likely to read it and have their absurd opinions challenged and proved wrong.

Kelly touches on the 2024 election of a Labour government with a huge majority but is skeptical of them doing anything beyond tinkering at the edges of a system that desperately needs a huge, generational upheaval. So far, she's sadly been proved right.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with clarity and warmth, Anywhere But Here shines a light on two sides of the complex issue of Britain’s asylum system: the problematic sometimes conflicting policies emanating from Whitehall and the warm-blooded asylum seekers themselves, risking death to reach the UK. Kelly got to know her subjects well by travelling to many of their homelands and to their launching spots on the continent from where they carried out the most desperate parts of their journeys, by visiting them in their often substandard and downright dangerous housing once in the UK and by being with them as they tried to navigate the administrative labyrinths required to be granted asylum status. A question asked by one asylum seeker, “Why does everyone think we are criminals?” resonates throughout and concisely sums up the barriers these desperate people face. Still, all is not dark and hopeless despair. Kelly shares tales of warmth, humanity and creativity shown by the asylum seekers themselves as well as many UK residents who welcome and support them. Crucially, she also offers many practical suggestions to unclog this gridlocked system, streamline the process and allow these oppressed people to maintain their dignity. On a final note, Kelly’s writing and her overall organisation of the book make it not only a clear, thorough exploration of a complex issue but also a real page-turner!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very powerful. Nicola Kelly helps us to see the people and their stories behind the often very misleading headlines. Using her insider knowledge working in the Home Office, the interviews with people seeking Asylum, her experience as a journalist and her contacts in the legal teams, she outlines many of the difficulties experienced by people desperate to find a safe haven.
This book contains verifiable factual information and data, the sources are all listed at the back of the book.
The asylum system is complex, anyone suggesting simple solutions to the channel crossings, hasn’t really understood the situation.
Many people also fail to take into consideration the international refugee laws that we are signatories of.
I do hope lots of people read this invaluable book, sadly, those who need to read it the most, would never consider doing so.
For anyone else who wishes to have a greater understanding regarding refugees, the situations they flee, and the difficulties they then face when they do find a safer place, I heartily recommend this book.
Thank you to Nicola Kelly, for taking the time to write this informative, eye opener.

[Isla · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Anywhere but Here' by Nicola Kelly is a non-fiction novel about the asylum crisis that is facing the UK and how the government is failing us and those who are so desperately trying to get here. Kelly spans the whole range of the arguments around this topic; discussing the real-life experiences of illegal immigrants entering the UK, the reasons that pushes them to make the treacherous journey and the harsh conditions that await them on their arrival. She discusses the points of view in the UK with a non-bias and non-discriminatory lens but then provides a powerful and vivid argument for why we need to care about the humans trying to make it to our shores. Kelly makes the writing extremely accessible, allowing the power behind her argument to come from the facts and people she acts as a voice for, as well as her own experience as an experienced journalist in this field. Due to this accessibility and the powerful portrayel of human life the book should be required reading for every person in the country.
5 stars.

Thanks to #netgalley for this ARC of #anywherebuthere

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who complain about asylum seekers and often believe only the headlines, this book should be required reading. It is heartbreaking to learn about the injustices and lack of compassion shown to these individuals. Sensationalist headlines are often inaccurate and harmful, not only to asylum seekers but also to those working within the asylum system. This book is deeply moving and lays bare the harsh reality that there is no legal route for the majority of asylum seekers to enter the UK, forcing them to take illegal and often dangerous paths. The situation is complex, unfair, and devastating, and Kelly explains it with great clarity. She sheds light on the scandals within the Home Office and exposes the failures of the broken asylum system. I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley and this is my honest review.

[Rhys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicola Kelly masterfully ties in individual stories alongside efficient reporting of policy and sociocultural shifts over the last decade to paint a even-handed, detailed, and haunting depiction of the crisis of irregular migration in Europe.

As someone who has worked for several substantial years within the European refugee crisis (moreso in Greece), this book covered a lot of familiar ground while exposing me to a more thorough understanding of the situation in Britain and the dynamics of various refugee groups. It calls for change while remaining relatively impartial - taking into account the complex social interplay of accepting communities and how innate human fears/susceptibilities can be stoked into anti-refugee/migrant fervor.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers Elliot & Thompson for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Morag Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook: This non-fiction book by former home office worker aims to give a nuanced look at the small boat crisis. What makes this book different is it discusses the issue through the stories of those who have made the journey and faced Britains asylum process. Kelly makes a huge effort to give a voice to those who are so often voiceless. The author visits places like detention centres that most of us are able to live in blissful ignorance about the reality of such places.
The book was presented as an overview of the issues involved but it wasn’t really. It didn’t in any depth look at why people hold anti-migrant sentiments. Perhaps if it had been reframed as telling the stories of migrants it might have fit better?

[WhatFrizRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read.
It took me a little longer to get through than I'd hoped - not because it's poorly written or not engaging, but because it is so well written and emotive that I really had to pace myself through it...re-reading and making sure I fully understand issues which I'm ashamed to say I was naive or ignorant to before.

This is an important book - it's one that everyone should read, one that should be shared and debated and shared again over, and over.

It was well written, as unbiased as possible to be when talking about atrocious treatment of humans and is one I will be urging others to read.

[Jason Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good insight into the behind the scenes peek at what the illegal immigrants endure to get to the UK and what awaits them when they get here - Spoiler alert, it's not what Reform would have you believe!
The far right's hate campaign that's directed at some of the most vulnerable people in the world is nothing short of disgusting. Some people are on the wrong side of the geographical birthplace lottery and the UK's helping hand has contributed to their countries issues.
It was an informative read, very well written but I can't say I liked what I read. Not the authors fault, just a disturbing topic.

[Ellie Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book thoroughly depressed and inspired me. Kelly does a fantastic job of giving voice to not only the migrants who struggle within the system, but those on the front lines who are trying their hardest to operate under a system that is used as a pawn in British politics. Each chapter was dealt with sensitively and gave me a better understanding of the asylum system (though I already supported immigration and better investment into the asylum system). I eagerly anticipate further work published by this author.

[Neil Fulwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focused, incisive and impeccably researched, ‘Anywhere But Here’ cuts through the noise from all sides of the debate - right-wing hate speak, liberal bleating, the echo chamber of empty government rhetoric - and tells human stories in a direct, factual and uncluttered manner. My immediate takeaways? The government (under any PM) is useless; the Home Office is an edifice built on performative cruelty; the RNLI are heroes; and any Farage-frotting gammon who assaults an immigrant, a charity worker or an RNLI volunteer needs putting against a wall.

[Russell Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic achievement for Nicola Kelly to have written so lucidly & transparently about such a confused/confusing subject (to most of us lay-people) & with such skill, political understanding & informed humanity.
This should be essential reading for anyone with even a passing opinion on this troubled & troubling subject : and definitely ALL politicians that are anywhere close to Government & Opposition discussion & defined policies on this matter.
Brilliant work Nicola.

[Dakota Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really well written and thought out book by someone with immense knowledge of the asylum system. It's a complicated subject that I feel the author approaches in a way that is objective and also human. I would recommend this book to anyone but especially to those who 'want to stop the boats' and people in politics. The book also provides a interesting look at how the system works and doesn't work.

[Dave Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

sad, shocking, and not us.

I am sure very few Brits want to live in a society where we treat fellow human beings in this way, yet that's exactly the picture Nicola Kelly so clearly paints.

this is not about left, or right, it's simply about us the people we elect, and those who are tasked with the jobs that touch the lives of these desperate people, showing kindness and humanity

We need to do better, so much better

Nicola, thank you for shining a bright light on this sad mess

[Mareva De · Rating 5 out of 5]

really touching! as she said in the intro this isn't about politics, this is about people
she illustrates the impact policies have on refugees, migrants, locals, volunteers and workers, through different lenses (lifeboats, healthcare, legal representation etc) and at different stages during or following their arrival to the UK, by drawing on individual yet universal examples

[Hinna Ghafoor · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best reads this year. I have been following Kelly for years on social media and her excellent articles. The book is a detailed and well researched deep dive into the immigration and asylum system and examining how incompetent and hostile the HO is. A range of well developed viewpoints and impressive writing and interview skills. Would recommend.

[i · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Nicola Kelly, Elliott & Thompson, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

An incredibly important and informative read on the issues surrounding migrants and refugees in the UK, especially those that have arrived via ‘small boat’. Heartbreaking and eye opening.