Sonita Gale’s impassioned documentary draws necessary attention to the “hostile environment” the UK government has created for migrants. She draws a through line from the British empire to today’s refugee crisis, connecting it to the Windrush scandal and Brexit.
Case studies filmed during the early days of the pandemic highlight the impossibility of the situation: a Pakistani family of four have British-born children who are ineligible for citizenship; the parents have been granted leave to remain but with “no recourse to public funds”. Elsewhere, an immigrant-led charity that provides hot meals for the NHS receive a commendation from Boris Johnson but no support from the council. An overpowering score is sadly distracting and labours the point; the subject alone is grave enough.
