How does it feel to be 'The Illegal'? New novel explores immigration

Long before images of Syrian families crowded on boats hit the news, long before Donald Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the country, Lawrence Hill was working on his novel about the harrowing plight of refugees.

"The Illegal" is set in a fictional country — a wealthy nation called Freedom State, a doppelganger of the U.S. and western Europe. It takes place in the very near, and not too implausible, future, when the country cracks down on undocumented immigrants.

Hill tells the story of Keita Ali, a refugee who wants nothing more than to run marathons competitively. Fleeing political violence in his home country, Ali comes to Freedom State, where he experiences the harsh realities of a country that is bent on catching and deporting him.

Hill's experience working with refugees started when he was just a teenager. His first summer job, at age 16, was working with immigrants at the Toronto airport. He helped those arriving find lodging for their first few weeks in the country.

He remembers the wave of Ugandan Asians that filled the airport after Uganda's then-president Idi Amin gave the country's minority population 90 days to leave.

He remembers "watching them sit and wait and wait and wait ... Dignified, courageous, quiet, waiting to be allowed into the country."

The experience planted the seed for the "The Illegal," and decades later, Hill hopes his new novel can express the impossible situation of people trapped by political circumstances.

"We all know how brutally deceiving and how disappointing and how lonely those first years — or perhaps more — can be to a person who lands in our borders without much support and without many opportunities to begin with," Hill said. "It can be a very depressing and hostile experience."

"The Illegal" follows Ali as his dream of running sparks a life-and-death ordeal after his immigration status is uncovered. MPR News host Kerri Miller called it "a sharp-edged, fresh and relevant take on immigration politics."

To hear the full discussion with Lawrence Hill about "The Illegal," use the audio player above.