‘Postcards from the border where people, politics and power collide’. A Talk by Tina Brocklebank

In the Calais refugee camp on the side of a small wooden shelter, the following words could be found; “We borrow the hearts of nomadic birds who do not recognise borders”.

While the hearts of thousands of refugees in the camp that became known as the ‘Jungle’ aspired to be soaring freely above the English-French border, their bodies were held between a life they fled and a life they could not reach. For those that make it across the border to the U.K., life as an asylum seeker is also characterised by unbearable limbo and agonising limitation.The borderlands of Fortress Europe and the “hostile environment” engineered by the UK government permeates every aspect of life for those seeking sanctuary here. These embodied sites of power and politics are also sites of human connection, hope and resilience. Through a series of photos and pictures, ‘Postcards from the Border’ reveals the human experience of life in the Calais refugee camp and as an asylum-seeker in Leeds.

This talk is organized by Café Économique, as part of a monthly series of talks and debates on current social and economic topics and related politics. Come and join the discussion.