Lunar House: The Archaeology of Contemporary Immigration.

Summary

The migration of people is no new phenomenon. It is, however, relatively recent that state and bureaucratic obstacles and controls have developed restrictions on the flow of migrants. State authorised immigration from former colonies and European Union member states is well documented. However, ‘illegal’ immigration, primarily that of those entering the country seeking asylum under the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, and the role and position of those immigrants in society, remains largely unexamined.

Lunar House is the main processing office for the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) and currently the only non-entry point within the UK in which one can claim asylum. Using this as a point of departure, this paper examines the relationship between immigrants and the state through the use of personal biographies and physical manifestations and considers the viability of using Contemporary Archaeology to investigate a politically sensitive subject.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• In the City: archaeology and the personal experience of urban transition   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

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PaperId(s): 407