Finding Home: The Real Stories of Migrant Britain

by Emily Dugan

Award-winning reporter Emily Dugan’s Finding Home follows the tumultuous lives of a group of immigrants, all facing intense challenges in their quest to live in the UK.

Syrian refugee Emad set up the Free Syrian League and worked illegally in the UK to pay for his mother to be smuggled across the Mediterranean on a perilous trip from Turkey. Even if she survives the journey, Emad knows it will be an uphill struggle to get her into Britain.

Australian therapist Harley risks deportation despite serving the NHS for ten years and being told by the Home Office she could stay. Teaching assistant Klaudia is one of thousands of Polish people now living in Boston, Lincolnshire – a microcosm of poorly managed migration. Aderonke, a leading Manchester LGBT activist, lives in a tiny B&B room in Salford with her girlfriend, Happiness, and faces deportation and persecution.

Dugan’s timely and acutely observed book reveals the intense personal dramas of ordinary men and women as they struggle to find somewhere to call home. It shows that migration is not about numbers, votes or opinions: it is about people.

Genres: Nonfiction

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2015

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has completely changed my perception of immigration. Having only been fed media and highly prejudice perceptions of immigration before it was so refreshing to read something that treated immigrants as people. Dugan's interviews make for compelling reading and it really opens your eyes to how it feels to battle with reality as an immigrant.

[Josh Tipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, loved having the individual stories from people who have found themselves on the wrong side of the immigration crisis that has been affecting Europe.

Would highly recommend reading if you are interested in how this is affecting the people who chose to try and come to Britain rather than all the statistics surrounding them.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very different look at immigrants - everyone should read

[Idgaf · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF@25%

[Han Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Focusing on ten individuals, Dugan really manages to focus on the individual, human aspect of migration, rather than the media's blanket generalisation of "swarms" of migrants. Although each person is only given a chapter to tell their story, you really feel like you know them after reading about their plight. Through the compelling narratives, Dugan details ten very different stories and perspectives about migrants living in Britain. She does so without preaching or shaming. This book made me really question a lot of the preconceptions I had and has really changed the way I now read and hear stories of migrants and refugees.

[Anastasija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and eye opening true stories to remind you that all this world needs is a little bit more compassion:)