A naive young Russian woman, Tanya, and her streetwise son are detained at a London airport when her elusive English fiance fails to collect them. In a panicked effort to avoid deportation, Tanya asks for political asylum and she and her son are immediately transported to the dreary seaside resort of Stonehaven where thousands of other immigrants remain cloistered pending their review. In a state of virtual imprisonment, Tanya befriends the manager of an amusement arcade whose affection and generosity buoys her spirits and helps ease her despondency.