asylum – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Winchester asks about role of freedom of religion in migration

The Bishop of Winchester asked a question about the role of denial of freedom of religion as a driver of migration on 25th November 2025, in response to a government statement on changes to the migration settlement pathway :

The Lord Bishop of Winchester: My Lords, I will keep my question brief because I want to give time to the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett. One of the most encouraging developments in foreign policy in this country in recent years has been the growing recognition of the evil of the denial of freedom of religion or belief across the world, leading to widespread persecution of faith communities, Christians not least among them, as we have tragically seen in these last days in Nigeria. The UK has become a recognised global leader in advocacy for this oft-overlooked right.

Does the Minister accept that denial of freedom of religion or belief is a significant driver of migration? It is certainly so in the case of a significant number who arrive illegally, who, according to the Statement,

“could see settlement take up to 30 years”.

Bishop of Hereford asks about impact of new immigration regulations on refugees

The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on the viability of safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to come to the UK on 20th November 2025, during a discussion on the government’s asylum policy:

The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I declare an interest as a participant in the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Three and a half years on, we have a delightful Ukrainian family still living in our house. In the section of the report on safe and legal routes, the options in the policy document include a route to safety for students and skilled workers. Such schemes may be a useful adjunct to sufficient open safe and legal routes, but does the Minister share my concern that, in a world where safe and legal routes are limited, we may send a message that young, healthy, skilled people are more deserving of sanctuary than others?

Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill: Bishop of Manchester supports amendments on right to work

On 5th November 2025, the Bishop of Manchester spoke in a debate on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, supporting amendments on removing the restrictions on work for asylum seekers:

The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, as well as Amendment 45 in my name, and that of the noble Lords, Lord Alton of Liverpool and Lord Watson of Invergowrie, I also strongly support the other amendments in this group, to which the noble Lord, Lord German, has just spoken. In fact, I have added my name to two of them.

The current lengthy ban on asylum seekers working wastes talent. Lifting it would let an incredibly talented, resilient group of people—as those are the qualities they needed to even get themselves here—support themselves and their families. It would allow them to rebuild their lives with dignity and independence, at the same time as they would be filling vital UK labour shortages.

Bishop of Sheffield asks about move-on period for asylum seekers

The Bishop of Sheffield tabled a question on risks to social cohesion and pressures on local services following a change in the move-on period for asylum seekers finding new accommodation on 4th September 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risks to social cohesion and the pressures on local councils and homelessness services presented by the recent decision to reduce the “move-on” period that newly recognised refugees are granted to find new accommodation to 28 days.

Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford supports legislation

The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke in support of the Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill [HL], a private member’s bill tabled by Baroness Lister of Burtersett, at committee on 13th June 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I am pleased to support the Private Member’s Bill of the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, on asylum support and her Amendments 1 and 2, which would enable the Government to extend the move-on period according to their plans and timetable. The Bill is extraordinarily well timed, with the move-on period pilot coming to a close and the Government having recently published their White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System. As the Government reduce the backlog of asylum applications and speed up the process times of applications, I suggest that this Bill does not impede but rather supports the Government as they seek to build a well-managed asylum system with integration back at its heart.

At Second Reading, I spoke of why 28 days was simply not enough time for an individual with newly granted refugee status to locate new accommodation, try to find employment and navigate a welfare system. This should now be regarded as indisputable, given that an individual cannot even access universal credit before five weeks have passed, that the majority of landlords will not even let a property before a first payment has come in and that setting up a bank account is proving difficult with an e-visa alone. On this latter point, I hope that the Government will consider issuing guidance to banking services.

Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill: Bishop of Southwark speaks at second reading

The Bishop of Southwark spoke at the second reading of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill on 2nd June 2025, pointing out the need for resources involved in managing the immigration and asylum system, and the potential effects of further hard line approaches to immigration enforcement:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, the diocese in which I serve covers one of the most diverse parts of the country. Indeed, arguably, south London is one of the most ethnically diverse places in the world. This diversity is often represented in our churches, which have benefited, as has the rest of the country, from the great human fact of migration. It would be good to hear some recognition of this in government and Home Office statements.

It is worth stressing that the vast majority of migrants to this country come here properly under the Immigration Rules, and thus there is no proper sense in which their arrival and settlement can be described as uncontrolled. The Government of the day may, for good reasons of public policy, wish to alter the rules or introduce fresh primary legislation, but that does not mean that a system and process is not in place, that applications are not assessed and fees paid, and that the results do not match what Parliament has sanctioned.

Bishop of Sheffield speaks in debate on housing of asylum seekers in hotels

The Bishop of Sheffield spoke in a debate on government policy on housing asylum seekers in hotels on 20th January 2025, raising instances from his own diocese, the need for better integration of asylum seekers into communities, and the cost of hotel accommodation:

The Lord Bishop of Sheffield: My Lords, I declare an interest as the patron of the charity ASSIST Sheffield. In the interests of time, I will limit my remarks to three key points.

First, there is the question of safety. One of the communities I serve as the Bishop of Sheffield is Rotherham. Noble Lords may recall how, in August last year, a group of asylum seekers living at the Holiday Inn in Manvers were deliberately targeted, in an incident that led to criminal convictions for over 60 men. The following month, at the request of the Mayor of South Yorkshire, I arranged for one of the churches in Sheffield, Christ Church Fulwood, to offer sanctuary for the day, free of charge, to a group of asylum seekers because there were fears that their hotel could be subject to a similar attack. Quite simply, it subjects asylum seekers to danger if they are placed in hotels in visible numbers. Dispersed accommodation offers greater protection and, for that reason, we should move to that provision as swiftly as possible.

Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford speaks in support

The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke in support of the Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill on 13th December 2024, raising the negative impact of limited adjustment periods and the need for grace in the asylum system:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, like many others, it is a pleasure for me to speak in support of this Bill. I too pay tribute to the Private Member’s Bill in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, as well as to other campaigners who have continued to call for a longer move-on period for those newly granted refugee status.

I sincerely welcome the Government’s decision to introduce this pilot, extending the move on-period to 56 days. It is among the recommendations of the recent Commission on the Integration of Refugees, of which I was pleased to be a commissioner; I should also state my interest as a principal of RAMP. It seems only a short while ago that we were responding to the reduction of the period to seven days, soon after which refugee homelessness figures reached an unprecedented peak, accounting for 51% of rough sleepers—a near 1,000% increase between the July of that year and last autumn.

Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill: Bishop of London supports bill

The Bishop of London spoke at the second reading of the Asylum Support (Prescribed Period) Bill on 13th December, supporting the bill and the need to make administration clearer in the asylum system:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I am glad to add my voice on the Second Reading of this Bill, and I pay tribute to the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, for bringing it forward.

As the Bishop of London, I see many churches which have stepped in to provide support to newly recognised refugees when the process of support just does not work as it should. Last year, I led a letter signed by 44 other faith and belief leaders in London to raise awareness of the high rates of homelessness for the newly recognised refugees. Many other faith groups and churches found themselves supporting newly recognised refugees who were street homeless. As part of the letter, we called for the Government to extend the support to 56 days. Following the letter, I had a very productive meeting with the noble Lord, Lord Sharpe of Epsom, when he was in his ministerial post, along with officials, and I pay tribute to him for his willingness to listen and, in fact, his willingness to respond.

Bishop of London asks about safeguarding in asylum processing

On 3rd December 2024, the Bishop of London asked a question on safeguarding practices for enforced return of asylum seekers whose claims have been found ineligible:

The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, I welcome the action that the Government are taking to get on top of the asylum backlog and to process claims formerly deemed as inadmissible. I appreciate, therefore, that more individuals may be found ineligible for asylum and may need to return. Therefore, are the Government going to review the current safeguarding policies in place for enforced return and, if so, how?

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