The Open University

Abandoned by the British, Afghan interpreters explain how they wait for years seeking safety

30 May 2018

When the British began to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan in 2012, the Afghan civilians they employed as interpreters, cooks and security guards, became even more exposed to threats, losing the limited protection that military bases granted them. In recognition of their work and its risks, the UK government put two schemes in place. The […]

Britons reluctant to appear part of a British expat community in France – Brexit could change that

22 May 2018

In the wake of the UK’s Brexit vote, many migrants to Britain have been made to feel like unwelcome outsiders. At the end of a visit to the country in early May, the UN special rapporteur on racism, Tendayi Achiume, said there had been a growth in “explicit racial, ethnic and religious intolerance” since Brexit. […]

Afghan interpreters: Belonging on the battlefield, exclusion from the nation?

16 May 2018

Sara de Jong, co-lead of the ‘Justice, Borders, Rights’ research stream and Research Fellow of the Research Area Citizenship and Governance at the Open University, writes here about the plight of Afghan interpreters. She currently conducts research on the claims for protection, rights and settlement by Afghans and Iraqis who have worked for western military forces and development organisations, as […]

Six ways Sajid Javid can make British migration policy more humane

2 May 2018

Britain’s increasingly brutal regime of “migration control” has come to a head. After almost two years as home secretary, Amber Rudd resigned on April 29, apologising for misleading parliament of deportation targets, amid public revulsion at the treatment of British people who had come from the Caribbean half a century ago. The prime minister, who […]

Windrush generation latest to be stripped of their rights in the name of ‘migration control’

18 April 2018

Some of those who came legally to the UK as part of the “Windrush generation”, many of whom are now elderly, have lost their jobs, homes, and bank accounts after being unable to demonstrate their legal status. They have been denied NHS services. They have been detained. And it’s likely that some have been deported. […]

Anne overcomes adversity to reach her graduation goal

29 March 2018

Anne is 69 and has wanted to achieve her degree her entire adult life. Having left school at 15 and started her career as a telephonist and receptionist, she married and gave birth to her daughter, Sandra. After her husband sadly passed in 1984, she battled with bladder cancer and severe arthritis. Recovering after years […]

Research recommends united action to attract more women into IT leadership

20 March 2018

An OU research project finds there are continuing barriers to overcome to get women better represented in highly-skilled positions in UK Information Technology (IT), with lessons to be learned from their counterparts in India. The global IT sector is characterised by low participation of women, with the UK being no exception. Many attempts have been […]

How to measure happiness

20 March 2018

Finland is the happiest country in the world, according to the annual World Happiness Report, with the UK ranked 19th this year (2018). But the report shows that countries with a higher GDP, such as the USA – ranked 18th; China – in 86th place; and Japan – 54th – don’t automatically have a happier […]

Sharenting: why mothers post about their children on social media

12 March 2018

On Mother’s Day, social media feeds are often full of celebration. Facebook reported that in 2017, Mother’s Day “drove more posts in a single day than any other topic on Facebook in the last year”. For some countries, Facebook even created a temporary emoji – the purple flower – so people could fully express their […]

Homeless people could avoid life-saving services, if there’s a risk of deportation

8 March 2018

As the UK was hit by snow and freezing temperatures last week, more beds in shelters were made available, and people in England and Wales were advised to use the StreetLink app and helpline to report rough sleepers. The project sets out to ensure that no one in a wealthy country dies of cold because […]

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Category: Society and politics