Acknowledgments This thesis seemed a distant dream back in 2010, when I decided, or better I was forced to decide, that academia was not for me. Despite a lot of self-doubt, panic attacks and severe imposter syndrome, here I am, 12 years later, writing the acknowledgments for this piece of work. I have not made it this far on my own. This thesis would have literally not been possible without Mary Bosworth. If one needs a guardian angel to survive a competitive, and at times cruel, academic world, then she is mine. She has supported me through difficult times, guided me, mentored me, inspired me, gave me opportunities, trusted me and believed in me like no one else. Words are not enough to express my gratitude for the wings that she has given me to fly. A massive thank you is owed to my supervisors Imogen Tyler and Joanna Kostka for their unremitting support and guidance throughout the duration of the PhD. I would not have reached the point of submission if Imogen had not ‘held my hand’ the past months. She was there weekly, cheering me on, answering questions and giving me confidence. Her smile and constant encouragement kept me going and made me feel that my story is worth telling. I am forever indebted to these brilliant and warm women, who make academia a better place to be in. Special thanks to my colleagues at Border Criminologies, who have given me the space to pursue a PhD part-time while being in a wonderful and inspirational community. Sanja Milivojevic is a unique case. She has opened her home to me, she has taken on my workload when I was on maternity leave and at the final stages of my PhD, and above all, she was always there to offer more. Her support made me stronger. Being a research associate at the Centre for Criminology, at Oxford, has been humbling all the way. Working there has given me the freedom to explore my field and collaborate with some of the key thinkers in my area of study. I could not have asked for a better work environment. The past years, I have been blessed to write and work together with wonderful colleagues, like Francesca Esposito and Leanne Weber. I look forward to continuing to learn from them. I would also like to thank Hindpal Bhui, who helped me forget about all the stumbling blocks that I thought were preventing me from pursuing a PhD back in 2016. I will never forget that taxi drive in Turkey, when he said ‘Why not do it, then?’. He has also been a wonderful travelling colleague, with whom detention visits were always easier. Sharon Pickering trusted me in my early steps as a researcher and I will forever be grateful to her. 6