Intersectional Harm and M <i>other</i> hood in the UK Asylum System

Abstract The proliferation of extreme immigration policies in the United Kingdom in recent years has developed in a context of stigma politics and the othering of noncitizens, particularly asylum seekers. The combination of policy and public discourse, which is underpinned by intersecting structures of oppression, generates a breadth of social harm for asylum seekers. Drawing on interviews with mothers who have experienced the asylum system, we argue that motherhood shapes experiences of intersectional harm and can both exacerbate the impacts and facilitate resistance of oppressions. The study enhances an understanding of intersectionality and social harm in relation to mothers seeking safety.