The Illegals
Personal accounts from undocumented migrants living and working in London.
Who are the ‘illegals’? Why are they here? What do they do? By presenting their diverse and illuminating experiences, The Illegals gives a platform to the individuals behind the stereotype.
This project, funded by the City Parochial Foundation, comprises of first-hand accounts of undocumented migrants living and working in London.
As the name of the project suggests, this particular category of migrants is both derided and misunderstood. We hope that this play will contribute to increased public pressure for regularisation of the status of some 750,000 undocumented migrants currently living in precarious circumstances by virtue of being outside of any formal system.
Some audience responses after the launch of The Illegals:
“This is a revelatory play which told me about the true story of migrants beyond the stereotypical media clichés.”
“It made me think about London in a different, unfamiliar way – just how pervasive and ignored these workers are. How easy it is for unscrupulous employers to exploit these people – people with ‘papers’ need to stand up for them.”
“A very moving and powerful piece of theatre”
Download an independent evaluation report of this project here (PDF)
Download a list of sources used to write The Illegals
In partnership with Migrants Rights
Funded by City Parochial Foundation
The Illegals
Photo by Mark Crick
Photo by Mark Crick