Kathleen Commons
@kabcommons.bsky.social
Researching immigration control in 17C England, and what it tells us about citizenship now and then. Co-convenor @ihr.bsky.social Migration and Mobility Seminar. Co-Director, Room to Heal, trustee @afrilcharity.bsky.social, Abigail Housing.
Pinned
New post on refugeehistory.org: were there refugees in 16thC England? Answer: it's complicated - migrants and the state were in the process of negotiating a form of refugee protection, which helps us to complicate notions of Britain's "proud history of welcome": tinyurl.com/bdyevr4d
When is a refugee not a refugee? — Refugee History.
England’s ‘proud history’ of welcoming refugees is regularly invoked in contemporary debates about refugees in Britain. Public and academic histories of pre-modern migration to England support this no...
tinyurl.com
As the UK moves towards redefining what constitutes a refugee (in questionably legal ways), I want to highlight my piece looking at previous English experiments in refugee protection. There is a long (long) prehistory of exclusion - and if refugee resistance to this
From the government that first refused to allow unaccompanied children seeking asylum to access family reunion, then suspended *all* family reunion.
Great to hear Rachel Reeves acknowledge that "there are many reasons why people choose to have children then find themselves in difficult times. The death of a partner. Separation. Ill health. A lost job. I don’t believe that children should bear the brunt of that."
So why should migrant children?
So why should migrant children?
November 26, 2025 at 8:59 PM
From the government that first refused to allow unaccompanied children seeking asylum to access family reunion, then suspended *all* family reunion.
As the UK moves towards redefining what constitutes a refugee (in questionably legal ways), I want to highlight my piece looking at previous English experiments in refugee protection. There is a long (long) prehistory of exclusion - and if refugee resistance to this
New post on refugeehistory.org: were there refugees in 16thC England? Answer: it's complicated - migrants and the state were in the process of negotiating a form of refugee protection, which helps us to complicate notions of Britain's "proud history of welcome": tinyurl.com/bdyevr4d
When is a refugee not a refugee? — Refugee History.
England’s ‘proud history’ of welcoming refugees is regularly invoked in contemporary debates about refugees in Britain. Public and academic histories of pre-modern migration to England support this no...
tinyurl.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:22 PM
As the UK moves towards redefining what constitutes a refugee (in questionably legal ways), I want to highlight my piece looking at previous English experiments in refugee protection. There is a long (long) prehistory of exclusion - and if refugee resistance to this
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
"Palestinians experience the displacement of the 2020s genocide not as a singular event, but as part of a repeated cycle."
Anne Irfan on the importance of writing Gaza's history.
Anne Irfan on the importance of writing Gaza's history.
Writing history in a time of genocide
Anne Irfan asks, what does it mean to write the history of a place as it is being destroyed before our very eyes?
www.historyworkshop.org.uk
November 20, 2025 at 12:05 PM
"Palestinians experience the displacement of the 2020s genocide not as a singular event, but as part of a repeated cycle."
Anne Irfan on the importance of writing Gaza's history.
Anne Irfan on the importance of writing Gaza's history.
Great paper at the @ihr.bsky.social Migration and Mobility Seminar yesterday by Ben Braber on media depictions of migrants in 19th & 20thC British media. We'll be back in 2026 with...
November 26, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Great paper at the @ihr.bsky.social Migration and Mobility Seminar yesterday by Ben Braber on media depictions of migrants in 19th & 20thC British media. We'll be back in 2026 with...
Cannot wrap my head around the fact that Labour's new policies for refugees are both performatively cruel but also obviously nonsensical. People seeking asylum won't get financial support if they "can work" but the ban on asylum seekers' working won't be lifted? Meaningless and stupid "announcement"
November 16, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Cannot wrap my head around the fact that Labour's new policies for refugees are both performatively cruel but also obviously nonsensical. People seeking asylum won't get financial support if they "can work" but the ban on asylum seekers' working won't be lifted? Meaningless and stupid "announcement"
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
To reiterate, this is about making life immeasurably more miserable and stressful for some of the most vulnerable people, in the almost certainly vain hope of winning over the votes of racists.
Anything more shabby and shameful is difficult to envisage.
Anything more shabby and shameful is difficult to envisage.
Asylum in UK to be made temporary under Home Secretary’s plans
Shabana Mahmood will lay out reforms modelled on the Danish system on Monday.
www.independent.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 9:14 AM
To reiterate, this is about making life immeasurably more miserable and stressful for some of the most vulnerable people, in the almost certainly vain hope of winning over the votes of racists.
Anything more shabby and shameful is difficult to envisage.
Anything more shabby and shameful is difficult to envisage.
Our next @ihr.bsky.social Migration and Mobility Seminar will be on 25th November. We will be welcoming Ben Braber to present on depictions of immigrants in British media between 1841 and 2021 - sign up link here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Depictions of immigrants in British newspapers between 1841 and 2021
www.history.ac.uk
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Our next @ihr.bsky.social Migration and Mobility Seminar will be on 25th November. We will be welcoming Ben Braber to present on depictions of immigrants in British media between 1841 and 2021 - sign up link here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
New post on refugeehistory.org: were there refugees in 16thC England? Answer: it's complicated - migrants and the state were in the process of negotiating a form of refugee protection, which helps us to complicate notions of Britain's "proud history of welcome": tinyurl.com/bdyevr4d
When is a refugee not a refugee? — Refugee History.
England’s ‘proud history’ of welcoming refugees is regularly invoked in contemporary debates about refugees in Britain. Public and academic histories of pre-modern migration to England support this no...
tinyurl.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:08 AM
New post on refugeehistory.org: were there refugees in 16thC England? Answer: it's complicated - migrants and the state were in the process of negotiating a form of refugee protection, which helps us to complicate notions of Britain's "proud history of welcome": tinyurl.com/bdyevr4d
Great session of @ihr.bsky.social Migration and Mobility Seminar - fantastic paper from Anne Irfan on the displacement-immobility nexus and Palestinian refugees - and some great questions in the Q&A afterwards
October 29, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Great session of @ihr.bsky.social Migration and Mobility Seminar - fantastic paper from Anne Irfan on the displacement-immobility nexus and Palestinian refugees - and some great questions in the Q&A afterwards
New post on refugeehistory.org: were there refugees in 16thC England? Answer: it's complicated - migrants and the state were in the process of negotiating a form of refugee protection, which helps us to complicate notions of Britain's "proud history of welcome": tinyurl.com/bdyevr4d
When is a refugee not a refugee? — Refugee History.
England’s ‘proud history’ of welcoming refugees is regularly invoked in contemporary debates about refugees in Britain. Public and academic histories of pre-modern migration to England support this no...
tinyurl.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:08 AM
New post on refugeehistory.org: were there refugees in 16thC England? Answer: it's complicated - migrants and the state were in the process of negotiating a form of refugee protection, which helps us to complicate notions of Britain's "proud history of welcome": tinyurl.com/bdyevr4d
Quick bump for this - a great opportunity for PGRs and ECRs to share their research on migration and mobility!
📢 Reminder about our CFP for the Mobility and Migration Seminar in collaboration with @ihr.bsky.social!
Please see below for more information on the CFP, abstracts are due on 15th November! Please share widely!
Please see below for more information on the CFP, abstracts are due on 15th November! Please share widely!
📢 New Seminar Series!
We are thrilled to be working alongside @ihr.bsky.social on a brand new seminar series titled Migration and Mobility. We are coming together for a special edition of the seminar to showcase the work of PGRs and ECRs on migration and mobility history (1/3)
We are thrilled to be working alongside @ihr.bsky.social on a brand new seminar series titled Migration and Mobility. We are coming together for a special edition of the seminar to showcase the work of PGRs and ECRs on migration and mobility history (1/3)
October 22, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Quick bump for this - a great opportunity for PGRs and ECRs to share their research on migration and mobility!
Just over a week until the next Migration and Mobility Seminar - we will be hearing (online and in-person - for free!) from Anne Irfan on Structural displacement and enforced immobility: Palestinian refugee history in Gaza since 1948: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Structural displacement and enforced immobility: Palestinian refugee history in Gaza since 1948
www.history.ac.uk
October 17, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Just over a week until the next Migration and Mobility Seminar - we will be hearing (online and in-person - for free!) from Anne Irfan on Structural displacement and enforced immobility: Palestinian refugee history in Gaza since 1948: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
Astonished at all the fab work scholars keep producing, despite all pressures & uncertainty.
Or because of? Good & bad: trying to save our job & knowing this matters so much that people try to stop us
@historyworkshop.org.uk podcast on #ScholarSunday: www.historyworkshop.org.uk/podcast/chan...
Or because of? Good & bad: trying to save our job & knowing this matters so much that people try to stop us
@historyworkshop.org.uk podcast on #ScholarSunday: www.historyworkshop.org.uk/podcast/chan...
October 5, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Astonished at all the fab work scholars keep producing, despite all pressures & uncertainty.
Or because of? Good & bad: trying to save our job & knowing this matters so much that people try to stop us
@historyworkshop.org.uk podcast on #ScholarSunday: www.historyworkshop.org.uk/podcast/chan...
Or because of? Good & bad: trying to save our job & knowing this matters so much that people try to stop us
@historyworkshop.org.uk podcast on #ScholarSunday: www.historyworkshop.org.uk/podcast/chan...
It was brilliant to kick off the Migration and Mobility Seminar with great papers from @profpanayi.bsky.social @endeeekay.bsky.social @bengidley.bsky.social @marcloureiro.bsky.social - a lot to think about in terms of how we do migration history, especially in the current moment
This was a great first session. Looking forward to many more to follow.
Enjoyed first seminar of @ihr.bsky.social Migration + Mobility seminar series led by the fantastic @kabcommons.bsky.social, starring legend @profpanayi.bsky.social and great presentations by @endeeekay.bsky.social (see pic for book out soon w/ @punctumbooks.bsky.social) & @marcloureiro.bsky.social
October 1, 2025 at 6:52 AM
It was brilliant to kick off the Migration and Mobility Seminar with great papers from @profpanayi.bsky.social @endeeekay.bsky.social @bengidley.bsky.social @marcloureiro.bsky.social - a lot to think about in terms of how we do migration history, especially in the current moment
Such a privilege to be part of this amazing roundtable, organised by @onslies.bsky.social at @rshc.bsky.social. So pleased that the conversation can be shared more widely (less pleased about my wobbly voice)
How has paperwork served as a tool of empowerment for people who often find power elusive?
In our latest podcast, a group of historians, archivists, and activists met at the Raphael Samuel History Centre (@rshc.bsky.social) to discuss the hidden history of paperwork 🗃️🎙️
In our latest podcast, a group of historians, archivists, and activists met at the Raphael Samuel History Centre (@rshc.bsky.social) to discuss the hidden history of paperwork 🗃️🎙️
Changing The Record
How has paperwork served over time as a radical tool for empowerment and change?
www.historyworkshop.org.uk
September 30, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Such a privilege to be part of this amazing roundtable, organised by @onslies.bsky.social at @rshc.bsky.social. So pleased that the conversation can be shared more widely (less pleased about my wobbly voice)
On a personal and slightly self-aggrandizing note, will be pleased to introduce this banging lineup for the first time officially as *Dr* Commons. Many thanks to @earlymodernjohn.bsky.social and Phil Withington for examining me with such care, and Anthony Milton for being a superlative supervisor
reminder we’re kicking off tomorrow
5:30- 7:30pm Hybrid/IHR
@profpanayi.bsky.social & @kabcommons.bsky.social will open, then I’ll will speak on history & social studies; @marcloureiro.bsky.social on history & law; and Natalya Din-Kariuki on history & literature.
www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
5:30- 7:30pm Hybrid/IHR
@profpanayi.bsky.social & @kabcommons.bsky.social will open, then I’ll will speak on history & social studies; @marcloureiro.bsky.social on history & law; and Natalya Din-Kariuki on history & literature.
www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
September 29, 2025 at 4:15 PM
On a personal and slightly self-aggrandizing note, will be pleased to introduce this banging lineup for the first time officially as *Dr* Commons. Many thanks to @earlymodernjohn.bsky.social and Phil Withington for examining me with such care, and Anthony Milton for being a superlative supervisor
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
reminder we’re kicking off tomorrow
5:30- 7:30pm Hybrid/IHR
@profpanayi.bsky.social & @kabcommons.bsky.social will open, then I’ll will speak on history & social studies; @marcloureiro.bsky.social on history & law; and Natalya Din-Kariuki on history & literature.
www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
5:30- 7:30pm Hybrid/IHR
@profpanayi.bsky.social & @kabcommons.bsky.social will open, then I’ll will speak on history & social studies; @marcloureiro.bsky.social on history & law; and Natalya Din-Kariuki on history & literature.
www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
September 29, 2025 at 4:08 PM
reminder we’re kicking off tomorrow
5:30- 7:30pm Hybrid/IHR
@profpanayi.bsky.social & @kabcommons.bsky.social will open, then I’ll will speak on history & social studies; @marcloureiro.bsky.social on history & law; and Natalya Din-Kariuki on history & literature.
www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
5:30- 7:30pm Hybrid/IHR
@profpanayi.bsky.social & @kabcommons.bsky.social will open, then I’ll will speak on history & social studies; @marcloureiro.bsky.social on history & law; and Natalya Din-Kariuki on history & literature.
www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Call for Papers! @ihrhistorylab.bsky.social x @ihr.bsky.social Migration and Mobility Seminar special edition - we want papers on all types of migration and mobility history from ECRs and PGRs. Abstracts to kabcommons [@] gmail.com by 15th November. Pls spread the word & DM with any questions
September 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Call for Papers! @ihrhistorylab.bsky.social x @ihr.bsky.social Migration and Mobility Seminar special edition - we want papers on all types of migration and mobility history from ECRs and PGRs. Abstracts to kabcommons [@] gmail.com by 15th November. Pls spread the word & DM with any questions
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain.
They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city.
Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.
They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city.
Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.
Farage vows to scrap indefinite leave to remain, placing thousands at risk of deportation
Reform UK plans to force non-citizens to apply for visas with high salary thresholds and no access to NHS services
www.theguardian.com
September 22, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain.
They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city.
Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.
They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city.
Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
If you want to know what the UK government's position is on its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to its support for Israel, here's what it argued in court this summer.
September 16, 2025 at 8:39 AM
If you want to know what the UK government's position is on its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to its support for Israel, here's what it argued in court this summer.
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
A High Court Judge ruled that Home Office had no real oversight of their commercial agents who provide asylum-seeker accommodation. They have a tissue-thin layer of staff with no real idea what’s happening, scared that Ministers and the press will realise this.
Interesting to see where the HO chooses its FOI battles. Contrast this with the ease of the far-right person who made a request and was given a list of charities working on asylum accommodation issues - resulting in online harassment and "credible death threats": www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
September 13, 2025 at 10:31 AM
A High Court Judge ruled that Home Office had no real oversight of their commercial agents who provide asylum-seeker accommodation. They have a tissue-thin layer of staff with no real idea what’s happening, scared that Ministers and the press will realise this.
Suspending family reunion, one of the *only* safe routes into the UK, is barbaric www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Four dead, including two children, attempting to cross Channel to UK in last 24 hours
Number of attempts to cross Channel has been particularly high for several days, say French authorities
www.theguardian.com
September 10, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Suspending family reunion, one of the *only* safe routes into the UK, is barbaric www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
V pleased to have a new article in @huguenotsociety.bsky.social journal: tinyurl.com/e2zb9bfb. (A little🧵)
Contents | Huguenot Society Journal 38,
For several hundred years after the mid-sixteenth century, there were two exile or Stranger communities in Norwich, many of whose members were Calvinists who worked in the textile trade. This article investigates three aspects of the financial activities ...
tinyurl.com
September 8, 2025 at 4:18 PM
V pleased to have a new article in @huguenotsociety.bsky.social journal: tinyurl.com/e2zb9bfb. (A little🧵)
V pleased to have a new article in @huguenotsociety.bsky.social journal: tinyurl.com/e2zb9bfb. (A little🧵)
Contents | Huguenot Society Journal 38,
For several hundred years after the mid-sixteenth century, there were two exile or Stranger communities in Norwich, many of whose members were Calvinists who worked in the textile trade. This article investigates three aspects of the financial activities ...
tinyurl.com
September 8, 2025 at 4:18 PM
V pleased to have a new article in @huguenotsociety.bsky.social journal: tinyurl.com/e2zb9bfb. (A little🧵)
Reposted by Kathleen Commons
NEW: An Oxford report warns that misleading media coverage is shaping public debate on immigration and human rights.
The study finds the ECHR is frequently misreported in deportation cases, fueling misconceptions that erode trust in the legal system.
🧵 [1/8]
The study finds the ECHR is frequently misreported in deportation cases, fueling misconceptions that erode trust in the legal system.
🧵 [1/8]
September 4, 2025 at 10:59 AM
NEW: An Oxford report warns that misleading media coverage is shaping public debate on immigration and human rights.
The study finds the ECHR is frequently misreported in deportation cases, fueling misconceptions that erode trust in the legal system.
🧵 [1/8]
The study finds the ECHR is frequently misreported in deportation cases, fueling misconceptions that erode trust in the legal system.
🧵 [1/8]