Introduction

In response to the refugee crisis and the constant news reports about the many (young) lives lost at sea, a recent article in The Guardian criticized Britain’s highly restrictive stance towards taking in desperate refugees from Syria with the following comment: ‘Refugees are human’. This comment is both telling and timely. It implies that those of us who ostensibly already belong need to be reminded of our shared humanity and responsibilities towards those who do not. The refugee crisis has ignited highly emotional political and public debates as to whether, how many and which refugees should be taken in by European countries and by countries farther afield. These debates highlight the issue of contested belonging, the subject of this book.