Secure Borders, Safe Haven: A contradiction in terms?

This article discusses the British government's White Paper on immigration Secure Borders, Safe Haven , 2002. This claims to be a "modern approach" to immigration, but it is argued it contains more continuities with the past than new departures. The article focuses on inclusion , arguing that inclusion is reserved for those deemed "deserving" - by virtue of their skills or ability to meet strict criteria for refugee status - while more rigid exclusion is proposed for the "underserving". Exclusion is addressed at three levels: firstly the impact of punitive policies towards asylum-seekers on arrival in Britain on the possibility of finding a "safe haven"; secondly , the impact of "secure borders" and accompanying discourses of threat on the safety of asylum-seekers and others perceived as "other"; thirdly, the broader exclusions inherent in a system of entry controls, which allow some to reach a "safe haven" while excluding others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]