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 Sudan, who came to England in 2020, is being threatened with deportation 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: a recent survey by UNICEF claimed that 49% of Sudanese girls are excluded from primary education.

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 Despite this, according to teachers, she is never late, and never misses school.

But now she may never get a chance to be rewarded for her hard work. Ann's family's application for asylum has been rejected by Britain's Home OfficeThe government department responsible for immigration, security, law and order. . 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 A candlelit vigil in support of her appeal attracted numbers so large it had to be restricted to her year group only. 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 Office. The government's new small boats bill, which dictates that refugeesAnyone fleeing conflict or persecution is defined as a refugee by the UN as a refugee, regardless of where they are from. arriving in the UK illegally should be instantly detained and deported with a permanent ban on re-entry, has attracted a slew of criticism. The UNUnited Nations. An intergovernmental organisation based in New York that aims to maintain international peace and security. refugee agency claimed that the bill would be a "clear breach" of the 1951 Refugee Convention.

As of the end of February, 191 child asylum seekersPeople who have left their countries due to danger and are seeking refuge elsewhere. remain missing in the UK, after a whistleblower raised concerns about human trafficking in hotels where refugees were housed.

And just yesterday, judges ruled that a group of asylum seekers from Iran, Iraq and Syria can bring a legal challenge against the Office for its contentious plans to deport them to Rwanda.³

Yes: Ann's story shows that Britain is clearly no longer a welcoming country. She has lived here 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 UK government, the British people still have open arms.