2018年8月，莎莉·海顿（Sally Hayden）收到了一条Facebook消息。”嗨，莎莉妹妹，我们需要你的帮助。我们在利比亚监狱的情况很糟糕。如果你有时间，我会告诉你所有的故事。”还有很多难民发出了更多信息。他们讲述了奴役和贩卖、酷刑和谋杀、肺结核和性虐待的故事。他们还透露了其他情况：欧洲政策的直接结果导致了他们落入如此境地。
从那时起，莎莉开始对北非各地的移民危机进行令人震惊的调查。这本书讲述了难民寻求庇护的惊人经历，但它也调查了更大的问题：非政府组织的疏忽和联合国内部的腐败；21世纪奴隶贸易的经济和欧盟对利比亚民兵的资助；偷渡者的审判、援助人员的挫折、难民求援的漏洞以及社交媒体在筹集赎金中的作用。谁该对虐待负责？人们在哪里找到解决方案？为什么这一切都没有被广泛报道？
从本质上讲，这本书讲述了那些做出了难以想象的选择的人，他们冒着一切风险，在一个希望他们沉默和消失的体系中生存。
*Winner of the Orwell Prize for Political Writing 2022
*Winner of the Michel Dèon Prize 2022
*Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2022
*Shortlisted for the 2022 Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing
*Winner of Non-fiction Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2022
*Winner of Overall Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards 2022
*The Times, Best Political and Current Affairs Books 2022:“Inject[s] a renewed urgency and moral clarity into a story most people think they are familiar with…Hayden’s book, told through the eyes of refugees, is a reminder of the horrifying suffering faced by so many trying to enter Fortress Europe.”
*The Observer, Best History and Politics Books 2022:“The intensely personal stories [Hayden] tells are a welcome corrective to the often de-humanising discourse…This unforgettable book should be required for politicians on all sides.”
*Financial Times, Best Books of 2022: Politics:“Puts a human face on the refugees that European governments are striving to prevent reaching the shores of the EU.” (Gideon Rachman)