This book investigates the intersection of criminal law and immigration enforcement, specifically questioning how criminal powers are utilized to regulate the mobility of individuals within the United Kingdom. Ana Aliverti, a scholar in law and criminology, utilizes a combination of original empirical data and legal analysis to examine the systemic shift toward criminalizing immigration status. The work provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how prosecution decision-making and judicial proceedings function as tools for state control over borders and residency.

Experts in the field of criminology and migration studies recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the criminalization of immigration in Britain. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous nature of the empirical research presented throughout the chapters.