asylum seekers – Page 3 – The Church of England in Parliament

Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill: Bishop of Bristol supports amendment on due regard for international and domestic law

On 16th April 2024, during a debate on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, the Bishop of Bristol spoke in support of an amendment tabled by Lord Coaker, which would stipulate that the bill should have due regard for international law, the Children Act 1989, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the Modern Slavery Act 2015:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: My Lords, I welcome the amendment from the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, particularly the detail of the inclusion in it of the Modern Slavery Act 2015; it is a detail except for those who have been, or may well have been, trafficked. There are as many as 4,000 people in the national referral mechanism whose cases are currently to be determined. That is absolutely right and proper under current legislation, and that legislation should be taken into account as part of the implementation of this Bill.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about housing conditions for asylum seekers

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government:

following the publication of their rough sleeping statistics on 29 February which showed a 965.91 per cent increase from July to December 2023 in people sleeping rough after leaving asylum support over the previous 85 days, what consideration they have given to extending the move-on period from 28 days to 56 days for refugees leaving asylum support; and what assessment they have made of the impact this extension would have on homelessness.
what assessment they have made of the benefits of staggering evictions of refugees from Home Office accommodation, particularly where the person is working with their local authority or a third sector organisation, to prevent their homelessness.
what plans they have to work with the third sector to jointly create a comprehensive and properly funded transition process for people whose asylum support is due to end, to enable information and support around housing and benefits to be given as far in advance as possible.

Bishop of Leicester asks about asylum accommodation in the UK

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answer on 15th April 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government, in the light of the National Audit Office’s report Investigation into asylum accommodation, published on 20 March, which found that (1) using large sites to accommodate asylum seekers could cost £46 million more than using hotels, and (2) the Home Office rated their own plans as “high risk or undeliverable”, why the large sites accommodation programme will be continued.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about social and community measures for those seeking asylum

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 18th March 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government whether they are taking steps to develop engagement forums with asylum seeker and refugee communities.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con, Home Office): We regularly engage with stakeholders through standalone meetings and various forums such as the Asylum Strategic Engagement Group, which includes organisations who both speak for and represent asylum seekers.

Church Commissioners Questions: Theft from Church Buildings, Asylum Seekers, Same Sex Relationships, and Churches on the World Watch List

On 22nd February 2024, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following answers to MPs in the House of Commons:

Theft: Security of Church Buildings

Greg Smith MP (Con, Buckingham) asked: Whether the commissioners have issued recent guidance to church parishes on securing buildings to prevent theft.

Bob Blackman MP (Con, Harrow East) asked: Whether the Commissioners have issued recent guidance to church parishes on securing buildings to help prevent theft.

Andrew Selous MP (Con, South West Bedfordshire): Before I reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Buckingham, may I pass on my condolences, and I am sure those of the whole House, to the family and friends of Alan Wilson, the Bishop of Buckingham, who died suddenly last Saturday?

There is comprehensive advice to all parishes on the Church of England website about how to keep buildings secure, which we regularly update. All buildings used for religious worship are also eligible for the Home Office’s hate crime protection scheme.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about plans to house asylum seekers at MOD Wethersfield

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answers on 13th February 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what is the schedule for, and availability of, transport provided to residents of MDP Wethersfield to leave the site.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con, Home Office): Those living at the site are able to come and go. The process for leaving the site is the same as the rest of our asylum accommodation.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about medical care for migrant detainees at MOD Wethersfield

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 31st Janaury 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 11 December 2023 (HL597), how often is the doctor at the onsite primary healthcare available to hold in-person consultations for residents.

Safety of Rwanda (Asylum & Immigration) Bill: Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich questions constitutional basis and moral implications of bill

The Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich spoke in the debate on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum & Immigration) Bill on 29th January 2024, arguing that the bill represented a loss of moral compass for the UK, and that the approach to the legislation by the government was constitutionally inappropriate:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich: My Lords, as the 41st speaker, I will inevitably repeat or underline others’ points, but I will briefly make a couple of observations. I am struck that some noble Lords supporting the Bill nevertheless do so with a hint of equivocation, saying that it is not perfect or the final destination. In addition, I have not heard evidence that the proposal will work. The Minister commented in opening that progress had been made and the numbers of those coming across in boats had decreased. Why do we not put more effort into the courses that have enabled that reduction?

I do not think there is a single noble Lord who is not determined that the dangerous boat crossings of those seeking asylum in this country be stopped. Our valuing of and care for human life and the plight of those fleeing danger place a moral duty on us to work out a way to stop these perilous crossings and find a just and safe way for people to find refuge. We know from the Government’s figures that the great majority of those who have sought asylum in this country through this life-endangering method have had their applications upheld. We are not talking about people risking their lives without legitimate cause. We need to find, as a number of noble Lords have said, safe ways to achieve this goal with our European neighbours. This is a good moral purpose to which I believe we would all assent.

Safety of Rwanda (Asylum & Immigration) Bill: Bishop of Durham questions support for refugees available in Rwanda and raises risks of modern slavery

On 29th January 2024, the House of Lords debated the the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum & Immigration) Bill. The Bishop of Durham spoke in the debate, questioning, based on his experience of the country through his role as Bishop, whether Rwanda would be able to adequately support refugees relocated from the UK, and highlighting the risks to refugees in the country, particularly in terms of modern slavery:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interests as laid out in the register. I stand in agreement with the arguments already made regarding the domestic constitutional, international standing and human rights concerns surrounding this Bill. I echo the belief that we should not outsource our moral and legal responsibilities to refugees and asylum seekers. However, today I hope to bring some insight to this debate through my own experience of Rwanda.

Rwanda is a country that I love. It is a country that I have travelled to on 20 occasions since 1997. I have observed the amazing transformation of Kigali and some aspects of the whole nation. My visits take me to rural villages, small towns and cities, not simply the glamour of a great international city. I have had the privilege of becoming friends with many local people whom I have met and stayed with there. The conversations I had there last August further led me to conclude that this policy will simply not work.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about process of transferring asylum seekers to Bibby Stockholm barge

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 24th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government on how many occasions an asylum seeker has been given fewer than five days’ notice before a transfer to the Bibby Stockholm.

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