UK expels 5,000 Congo refugees

Judges have ruled that up to 5,000 asylum-seekers will be sent back to the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. All Congolese citizens with a failed asylum claim are preparing to return, following a decision in the Court of Appeal last week.

Innocent Empi, of the Congo Support Project, said: "This is bad, bad news for us. Everyone's frightened. There are people saying they would prefer to kill themselves than go back to Congo. They will be sending them to their death."

The ruling came just days after Human Rights Watch revealed the Kabila government has killed around 500 opponents and tortured more than 1,000. Lawyers had maintained that just by returning, asylum-seekers were at risk. But this evidence – and a further appeal – were rejected.