An Analysis of the Concept of Hospitality in the United Kingdom’s Immigration Policy

The United Kingdom offers a Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme for the most vulnerable Syrians fleeing the Civil War. For those who do not meet the requirements, they travel to the UK on their own seeking asylum. The United Kingdom deems itself as welcoming to all immigrants; however, while looking at the Syrian population, it is obvious that those who come via the scheme are offered more support while acclimating, compared to those who migrate on their own. This thesis will look at literature on hospitality in order to understand why the UK is welcoming to some Syrians but not all of them. Hospitality is not only about kindness, openness and welcomeness, but also about politics. The United Kingdom can demonstrate hospitality to one group of Syrians because it then allows them to be inhospitable to the other group. This therefore limits immigration and the amount of refugees and asylum seekers they allow in, ultimately positioning the UK as a host that controls the opening and closing of their border. In order to prove this, news articles from a variety of sources on the topic of how Syrians are treated and their experiences in the UK will be analyzed. These articles look at specific experiences Syrians have had while acclimating to their new lives with the government and everyday people.