Closed arms, closed hearts?

Most GCSEThe national exams taken by 15 and 16-year-olds in parts of the UK. students are worrying about mocks, revision, burnout and how to fill the long summer ahead of them after they finish their exams.

But for 16-year-old Ann Bashir, such worries would be a luxury. The Year 11 student from SudanA country in northeast Africa with a population of 45 million. , who came to England in 2020, is being threatened with deportationForcing someone to leave a country. in April - before she could even sit the exams that she has been studying for.

Ann and her family fled Sudan after her sister was arrested and detained for 33 days for taking part in peaceful anti-government protests. Her mother and father were also involved in the protests and her father, who was arrested, is missing and presumed dead.

The family fears for their safety - and even lives - if they return to Sudan. According to Human Rights Watch, the country has used "excessive and lethal force against peaceful protestors". Women's access to basic schooling is also severely restricted in the country.

This is not the family's first challenge in the UK. In November, they were relocated from Brighton, where Ann attends school, to emergency accommodation in London's Tower Hamlets, forcing Ann to undertake a daily two hour commute to Brighton and back.¹

And now, Ann's family's application for asylum has been rejected by Britain's Home Office. They have appealed the decision, and are awaiting a verdict in April - but if it is upheld, Ann and her family will be deported immediately.

Ann's fellow students at Brighton's Cardinal Newman Catholic School have rushed to show their support. A petition to "save our student from deportation" has surpassed 4,500 signatures.² Her peers are writing letters to Home Secretary Suella Braverman on behalf of their friend.

"We need as many voices as possible for this girl and her family because they do not have a voice at all," commented staff member Georgia Neale, who has been at the forefront of the campaign.

It is far from the first recent controversy concerning Britain's Home OfficeThe government department responsible for immigration, security, law and order. . The government's new small boats bill, which dictates that refugees arriving in the UK illegally should be instantly detained and deported with a permanent ban on re-entry, has attracted a slew of criticism.

As of the end of February, 191 child asylum seekers remain missing in the UK, after a whistleblower raised concerns about human traffickingThe recruitment, transportation or trade of humans for forced labour or sexual exploitation. in hotels where refugees were housed.

Yes: Ann's story shows that Britain is clearly no longer a welcoming country. She has lived in the UK for years and is threatened by deportation to a country where her life could be at risk.

No: It is costing the UK more than £6 million per day to accommodate refugees and asylum seekers. Many agree that the system needs to be overhauled - and that current services are struggling with the number of arrivals.

Or... The fact that Ann's community has rallied around her shows that Britain is still a welcoming country. Despite the policies of the government, the British people still have open arms.