When Jordan was deported to the UK after imprisonment in another country where he had spent most of his life, he didn’t know what to expect. With no family or friends here to support him and little knowledge of the culture, it was a nerve-wracking and overwhelming experience. Several months on, he wrote this article for our overseas newsletter reflecting on what he has learnt so far.

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It’s been about three months since my return to the UK. I’ve been through a lot; I came back to a culture and city I’ve never known with few local contacts, as well as my ideas of “what I thought life was going to be” being completely shattered one after another.

I returned to the UK having been raised almost entirely in another country. I wanted to write a small piece about what I see as essential British character and culture: how I identify and not merely ‘fit in’, but belong to this culture.

This was spurred by a news article I read about patriotism. It struck a chord in me to see people who described the culture here by their tokens and behaviours rather than the character behind them. Here’s what being British means to me, and why it’s important.

Being British doesn’t mean complaining about the weather; it means: ‘We live here together and we understand and share what it’s like’.

Being British doesn’t mean only beans on toast for breakfast and getting drunk at the pub; it means we appreciate a simpler life with healthy food and come together to ease our difficulties with a little bit less inhibition.

Being British doesn’t mean being reserved all the time; it means that we live in a very small, shared space and have a lot of respect for each other’s emotions and personal lives.

Being British means that we are part of one of the most ecologically conscious societies in the world; we understand our place in nature.

Being British means having compassion for all people, and a willingness to meet other cultures as they come together and engage from a position of hope.

Being British means that yes, I’m scared to find out how different other people can be, and that I still talk to them and listen.

Being British means having the wonderful openness to really talk to my neighbours and the strangers I see every day, and to have a warm heart and wish people well even in the worst of times.

Being British means that I have a place where I am welcomed, even if I’m odd.

Being British means I get to be part of this wonderful, rich tapestry of human experience and contribute to a society of people who care so much that they’ve given me the tools and skills to rebuild my life from nothing – without expecting (but hoping) that I can and will give something back.

Being British means that we are curious, sensitive thinkers with a creative spark and a real need for connection which is oftentimes suppressed because of how densely we are packed.

Being British means, fundamentally, that we are curious, resilient, courageous, brave, hopeful, intelligent, dedicated, and authentic people who understand the true value of cooperation and what it means to come together to share strength through real unity - not to an idea, a person, particular behaviour, or a place, but to the character traits that make us fundamentally who we truly are.

I was raised elsewhere, and I know I am British. I belong to this culture, because belonging is what genuine people do. It does not mean that I am not scared, hopeless, frustrated, or angry at times; it means that I am working on myself and acting calmly in these emotions until I truly belong any and everywhere, to and with all people without sacrificing the inherently valuable character that is my only birthright and belongs to all people everywhere.

May this be inspiration to you on your path to reintegration. I am British, and you can be, too.

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Offering a guiding hand

Prisoners Abroad supports people who return to the UK after prison; we find them somewhere to stay, provide grants for food and travel, and help them take the vital steps to a new life.

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