Tag: asylum seekers

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.

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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.

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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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Bishop of Leicester asks about unaccompanied asylum-seeking children

The Bishop of Leicester received the following written answers on 10th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Leicester asked His Majesty’s Government whether they have made a decision about whether the power under the Illegal Migration Act 2023 for the Home Office to accommodate children will come into force; and if so, when.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Illegal Migration Act received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023. The Act seeks to ensure the only way to come to the UK for protection will be through safe and legal routes and will take power out of the hands of the criminal gangs and protect vulnerable people, including children.

Following the High Court ECPAT judgment and Supreme Court judgment on Rwanda, the Government is carefully reflecting on commencement of the powers in the Act, including those relating to the accommodation and transfer of unaccompanied children.

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Bishop of London asks about notice periods for refugees leaving Home Office Accommodation

On 18th December 2023, the Bishop of London asked a question on government plans to ensure a 28 day notice period for refugees granted asylum or leave to remain before they are required to leave Home Office accommodation:

The Lord Bishop of London: To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they plan to ensure that refugees are given 28 days’ notice before they are required to leave their Home Office accommodation, having received documentation after being granted asylum or being given leave to enter or remain.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about monitoring of funds to refugees allocated by Rwanda under new treaty

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question on the government’s treaty with Rwanda, on whether the monitoring committee outlined in the treaty would review how funds have been allocated to meeting the needs of refugees by Rwandan authorities:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, will the monitoring committee, as outlined in the economic development partnership and now the treaty, review how funds have been allocated by the Rwandan authorities towards meeting the needs of refugees?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about plans to tackle homelessness among asylum seekers

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the need for a joined up policy to tackle homelessness among asylum seekers on 21st November 2023:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: Both the noble Lord, Lord Scriven, and the noble Baroness, Lady Lister, have raised the really troubling issue of asylum seekers leaving accommodation and being made homeless. In the Government’s strategy, Ending Rough Sleeping for Good, there was talk about having a transparent and joined-up system. What plans do His Majesty’s Government have to ensure that homelessness policy and asylum policy are working together so that we can minimise this dreadful problem?

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Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Durham advocates for right to work for those seeking asylum

During a debate on the Illegal Migration Bill on 14th June 2023, the Bishop of Durham spoke in support of an amendment tabled by Baroness Ludford and in the name of the Bishop of Chelmsford, which “would require the Secretary of State to make regulations enabling asylum seekers to work once they have been waiting for a decision on their claim for 3 months or more.”

The Bishop also raised a point of clarification to Baroness Stowell of Beeston regarding people out of work and claiming benefits:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I support Amendment 133 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Ludford. My right reverend friend the Bishop of Chelmsford has added her name to it. She regrets that she cannot be here today; she is actually working with the Woolf Institute’s independent commission on refugee integration. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Ludford, and other noble Lords who have eloquently made the case for the amendment already.

As it stands, the Bill makes the case for a right to work for some asylum seekers more important than ever. Of course, it is a theme that has come up already. There is little prospect of potential removals being able to keep pace with the large population of asylum seekers who will be deemed inadmissible in the future, and currently we have a huge backlog. We risk the creation of a permanent underclass. Apart from the deleterious effects, that drives some of those people into the grey and black economies because they are not allowed to work openly.

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Illegal Migration Bill: Bishop of Durham supports amendments to ensure high standard of “safe” countries

On 5th June 2023, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill on the second day of the committee stage. The Bishop of Durham spoke in support of amendments to the bill tabled by Baroness Hamwee, Lord Carlile of Berriew, and Lord Alton of Liverpool that would ensure that, when removing migrants to “safe” countries, the country in question meets high definitions of safety:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: I apologise that I was unable to be present on day one of Committee and I arrived today rather later than I had planned, so was unable to speak earlier. However, I am grateful to my noble friend the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Coventry for so doing.

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Archbishop – Illegal Migration Bill plans ‘morally unacceptable and politically impractical’

On 10th May 2023 the House of Lords debated the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill at its Second Reading.

The Archbishop of Canterbury: My Lords, we need a Bill to reform migration. We need a Bill to stop the boats. We need a Bill to destroy the evil tribe of traffickers. The tragedy is that, without much change, this is not that Bill.

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