Teresa Hayter (born 1940) is a British author and activist. She is the author of three books: ''Aid as Imperialism'', ''The Creation of World Poverty'', and ''Open Borders: The Case Against Immigration Controls,'' as well as an early autobiography (penned at age 30) called ''Hayter of the Bourgeoisie.''
Background and early life
Teresa Margaret Hayter was born on 2 April 1940, in Shanghai, China, the daughter of
William Hayter (later Sir William and a diplomat representing the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, who became Warden of
New College,
Oxford University
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
), and his wife Iris Marie Grey.
Hayter's first book (1971) was autobiographical and was entitled ''
Hayter of the Bourgeoisie.''
Views
Views on migration controls and refugee rights
Hayter has been a vocal campaigner and activist for greater refugee rights and the loosening of migration controls in general. Her book, ''Open Borders: The Case Against Immigration Controls'' made general arguments against migration controls and also pointed specifically to the circumstances of refugees. In the book and elsewhere, she has connected her activism for migration rights with her anti-racist views.
The book is available for free online and has received some reviews. In addition to her books and media interviews and articles, Hayter has also made the case, in academic journals, for a world without borders.
Hayter is at the helm of a campaign to close down
Campsfield House
Campsfield House was an immigration detention centre located in Kidlington near Oxford, England, operated by private prison firm Group 4 under contract with the British government. For 25 years, it was the site of a regular monthly protest from hu ...
, a detention centre in the United Kingdom.
[
In March 2007, Hayter refused to share a podium with ]David Coleman
David Robert Coleman (26 April 1926 – 21 December 2013) was a British sports commentator and television presenter who worked for the BBC for 46 years. He covered eleven Summer Olympic Games from 1960 to 2000 and six FIFA World Cups from 196 ...
of Migration Watch UK, and supported a petition by local free newspaper, the ''Oxford Star'', calling on the Vice Chancellor of the University, John Hood, to "consider the suitability of Coleman's continued tenure as a Professor of the University, in light of his opinions and affiliations relating to immigration and eugenics."
Aid and poverty
Hayter wrote two books on the subject of the world order and its connection to poverty: ''Aid as Imperialism'' (1971) and ''The Creation of World Poverty''. In the former, she criticized the lending policies of the World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
while extolling the development approach of North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
; the book was reviewed in ''The Spectator
''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...
'' in 1972. The latter book was reviewed by Leading Light.
Reception
Hayter has been interviewed by a number of blogs and websites.[ She has written a column for '']The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''[ and has been cited and quoted in ''The Guardian'']
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayter, Teresa
1940 births
Living people
British writers
British anti-racism activists
British expatriates in China