United Kingdom

The UK left the European Union in January 2020, following a three-year process that caused deep strain to the country’s politics and constitution in ways that put the institutions that protect human rights at risk. It is also unclear to what extent EU law-derived human rights protections will be maintained post-departure, including for EU citizens resident in the UK. On the domestic front, a growing reliance on food banks is linked to austerity budget cuts and a welfare system overhaul that undermine the rights of the poorest families. The government refused in 2019 to order a fresh public inquiry into alleged UK complicity in rendition and torture.