Introduction

In the introduction of this book, I include an overview of the immigration enforcement estate in the UK, focusing in particular on the three sites of investigation of the research which informs the book. These are Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre, the only female specific removal centre in the UK, ‘the community’ of the UK where women were dispersed on release, and Jamaica, where women were removed to after their stay in immigration detention. I also explore the challenges of conducting research with women who have spent time in immigration detention and reflect on the process of creating subjective academic research.