What is it really like being a refugee today and what are the actual experiences of displaced people in a country that is not their own? What are the challenges and struggles faced by refugees in new environments that are often threatening and that can compound the bad experiences they have already suffered in their past? The author's analogy of "a new inmate in prison is always the victim of abuse from other long-term inmates, or from the guards, who are part of the system and know how things work in there" is a sobering thought. As well as the stark realities, this book is also a reflection of thoughts, theories and ideas about the place and treatment of refugees within society.