I’m fascinated with borders and the ways that they impact people, so of course I’m following Brexit. I’ve found that one of the greatest challenges to understanding it (particularly as an outsider) is that the conversation is so mired in politics–most of the UK media outlets cover the he-said-she-said of the negotiations (let’s be real it’s mostly he-said…) and avoid the story of who is actually going to be impacted by the policies. I’ve found this results in a lot of confusion and panic, or worse, apathy.

So here is a story that I did for The National about how the UK is actually ramping up deportations of asylum-seekers ahead of the Brexit deadline (which is in just a few days) and what this means for the future of people fleeing warzones and poverty who want to seek asylum in the United Kingdom. Spoiler alert: it isn’t good.