My name is Maryna Sulym, and I am an author and a photographer of the Local Foreigners, the project exploring the human face of immigration. It is a collection of portraits and stories of people who moved to the UK from different countries.
Being an immigrant from Ukraine, I am not happy with the negative representation of immigrants as victims or threat in the media. I started this project to spread the awareness of the diversity and complexity of immigration, the reality of which is very different from the pictures in the newspapers.
This project aims at presenting immigrants as locals by picturing foreigners as regular people with everyday problems, families, hobbies, study and work.
You can help this project grow
I started the Local Foreigners while studying MA in photojournalism at University of the Arts London; however, I plan to continue it for a longer time to share more stories. This is is a non-profit project and all the costs are covered with my personal savings. To help it grow, you can tell your own immigration story, donate a few pounds, or spread the word and share the link to this website on your social media profile. Whatever you choose to do, thank you for being awesome :)
I am very grateful to the team of fellow photojournalists who contributed to the Local Foreigners with their research and support. Rebeca Binda, Vanessa Endeley, Michael Ruane — thank you for your invaluable help!