| Popis: |
This article examines the processes of negotiating citizenship through the “Muhammad Idrish Must Stay” campaign, an anti-deportation campaign that took place in the UK in the 1980s. In the 1970s, anti-immigrant sentiments increased considerably, and the UK government used immigration policies to tighten control of coloured migrants from former colonies. Drawing on a series of interviews with Mr. Idrish, this article demonstrates the complexity of his struggle for rights through anti-deportation activism. My discussion begins with a description of Mr. Idrish’s migration from Bangladesh to the UK in the 1970s and his experiences in the UK. I focus on the racism that he encountered after his arrival in Britain. The first section also provides background to such experiences by describing how the status of new commonwealth migrants was marginalized through tightening immigration laws and negative social discourses against migrants. The second section discusses how Mr. Idrish’s campaign began in the early 1980s and highlights several factors that led to the successful end of his campaign in 1985. These factors include support from the trade union NALGO, Mr. Idrish’s strong leadership in the campaign, and the complex political climate in which the Thatcher government operated. I then point out two key aspects that defined Mr. Idrish’s campaign. One is how Mr. Idrish challenged the notion of ‘illegality’ which the state tried to impose on migrants. The second is that Mr. Idrish brought to the fore the rights of migrants - instead of compassion for them - as the basis of legalizing ‘illegal’ migrants. In conclusion, I argue that Mr. Idrish’s case demonstrates that individuals are not mere recipients of rights and status endowed by the state. Rather, they actively contest the status quo and fight for their rights, through which processes they negotiate a sense of belonging and forge ties with others of various standing. |
