The Migrant’s Dilemma

So far, the UK is the top 5 destination country in the world for hosting migrants from worldwide. However, there are more than a million British people moved to Australia after WW 2 and later over a quarter came back home. 

Mary Holmes, a British woman once emigrated from Newport to Australia in 1962 with her farmer husband and five children. At that time, under the British migration scheme, adults paid only 10 pounds to travel to the new destination and her children went free. 

When they finally settled down in their new country—Australia, Mary wrote down a poem in next year: 

Oft[en] I toss and turn at night, sleep troubled & uneasy.

Back and forth my thoughts they dance, in a maddening crazy frenzy.

The land is good, full of chance, the people kind & friendly.

So tell me why my wayward heart is always homeward turning.

Finally, Mary eventually returned to live in Wales.

This is the case of a general migrant's homesickness in the new place.  

When you encourage people to do something bravely, you say ‘the sky is the limit’; but for refugees to say, the sea is really the limit. Don’t know what hope they can hold, refugees are contemplating a move to a new destination country. 

The dilemma is when they finally come to the Disneyland in their imagination, they are just starting to face all the challenges in their host country. Not everyone is a lady or a gentleman who welcomes refugees so much. The most concerned issue for refugees is ‘no rights to work’ in a new destination. As such, what is the future? To stay or to return is always a question. 

I herein share a refugee-theme exhibition: ‘The Sea is the Limit’ which is currently held by York Art Gallery. Eleven international artists co-display their works to depict the reality of refugees’ dilemma during the process of immigration. 

‘The sea, boats, and trade routes are regular parts of the refugee and migrant experience’—Trade Winds (2018) by Susan Stockwell, UK

到目前為止，英國是世界上接納全球移民的五大目的地國家。然而，第二次世界大戰後有超過一百萬英國人移居澳大利亞，後來超過四分之一的人回到了家鄉。

1962年，一位英國婦女瑪麗·霍爾姆斯（Mary Holmes）與她的農夫丈夫和五個孩子一起從紐波特移民到澳大利亞。那時，根據英國的移民計劃，成年人只需支付10英鎊就可以到新目的地，而她的孩子則可以免費去。

當他們最終在新的國家 - 澳大利亞定居下來時，瑪麗在第二年寫下了一首詩：

我晚上輾轉反側，睡不著覺。

來回晃動我的思緒，它們瘋狂瘋狂地跳舞。

土地很好，充滿機會，人民善良友善。

所以告訴我為什麼我任性的心永遠向著家。

最後，瑪麗最終回到了英國威爾士。

這是一般移民在新地方的鄉愁。

當你鼓勵人們勇敢地做某事時，你會說'天空是極限'; 但對於難民來說，海洋確實是極限。不知道他們能夠擁有什麼樣的希望，難民們正在考慮著遷移到一個新的目的地國家。

他們的困境是當他們最終來到他們想像中的迪士尼樂園時，他們才剛剛開始面對東道國的所有挑戰。不是每個人都是一位非常歡迎難民的女士或紳士。難民最擔心的問題是“無權力工作”。那麼，未來在哪裡？到底要留下來或返回原鄉總是一個問題。

分享您一個難民主題展覽：“海是極限”正由約克美術館舉辦. 11位國際藝術家共同展示他們的作品，描繪了難民在移民過程中的困境。