Tastes Like Paper

2025
UK Immigration White Paper printed on edible wafer paper

In May 2025, the UK government released a new immigration white paper, sparking frustration and controversy among many migrants. The document proposed a reduction of the Post-Study Work Visa (PSW) from two years to 18 months, and extended the pathway to permanent residency or citizenship from five to ten years for those on work visas.
As international students, we already pay at least five times more in tuition fees than local students to study in the UK—yet we are made to feel deeply unwelcome. Similar tightening of immigration policies is also taking place in the United States.
In this work, I printed the UK immigration white paper onto edible paper. Together with audiences of different nationalities and backgrounds, we chew it up—or throw it into the border sea. Through this gesture, the phrase “restoring control over the immigration system” is returned to the border itself.

Photo Credit René Lazový