asylum – Page 3 – The Church of England in Parliament

Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration Bill): Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich supports amendments on modern slavery, right of return, and overall safety

On 4th March 2024, the House of Lords debated the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill in the first day of the report stage. The Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich spoke in the debate, supporting amendments on assessing Rwanda’s safety, establishing right of return for asylum seekers after relocation, and protection for victims of modern slavery:

The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich: My Lords, I shall speak in favour of Amendments 1, 3 and 5 tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Chakrabarti, to which I have added my name. I do not believe that we can enshrine in law a statement of fact without seeing and understanding the evidence that shows such a statement to be true, in particular when such a statement of fact is so contentious and for which the evidence may change. Ignoring for a second the strange absurdity of such declarations, we must also consider the real impact that this could have on the potentially vulnerable people whom the Government intend to send to Rwanda. As my most reverend friend the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is in his place, said at Second Reading,

Church Commissioners Written Questions: Churches in Nigeria, Silent Discos, Asylum, Independent Safeguarding Board, CofE Staff, and Church Finances

On 26th February 2024, Andrew Selous MP, representing the Church Commissioners, gave the following written answers to questions from MPs:

Churches: Nigeria

Sir Edward Leigh MP (Con, Gainsborough): To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church has had discussions with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the attack on the St Francis Xavier Church in Owo, Nigeria in 2022; and whether the Church is providing aid for the victims of that attack.

Safety of Rwanda (Immigration and Asylum) Bill: Bishop of Chichester supports amendments on role of the courts in asylum system

On 19th February 2024, the House of Lords debated the Safety of Rwanda (Immigration and Asylum) Bill in committee. The Bishop of Chichester spoke in the debate, in support of two sets of amendments on the jurisdiction of the courts, pointing out the practical issues associated with offshoring of asylum seekers:

amendments tabled by Baroness Chakrabarti restoring the jurisdiction of domestic courts “by rendering the future safety of Rwanda (evidenced by UNHCR advice) a rebuttable presumption and restoring the ability for UK courts and tribunals to grant interim relief…”
amendments in the name of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Baroness Chakrabarti which would seek to ensure that that proper regard is given to interim measures of the European Court of Human Rights in accordance with international law

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, my noble friend the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury regrets that he cannot be in his place today to speak to the amendments in this group tabled in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Chakrabarti, and the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Hale. I wish to associate my remarks with theirs and to emphasise how important the restoration of the jurisdiction of the domestic courts is in considering also UNHRC evidence and the ability to grant interim relief. This is no mere technicality. This jurisdiction might make the difference between sending an asylum seeker to Rwanda while their claim, or an aspect of their claim, is pending or not doing so.

Bishop of St Albans queries claims relating to baptism of asylum seekers

On 8th February 2024, The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the recent claim by a member of the House of Commons that the Church of England was “facilitating industrial-scale bogus asylum claims,”, pointing out the lack of evidence for this and the Church of England’s duty to administer sacraments such as baptism:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, both the Church of England and my most reverend friend the Archbishop of Canterbury have repeatedly said that we want the boats to stop, criminal gangs to be prosecuted and people to be held accountable if they commit offences. We note that a prominent Member in the other place recently said that the Church is

“facilitating industrial-scale bogus asylum claims”,

which has been widely reported in the press. Administering the sacrament of baptism is one of the core duties of the clergy. Given that, what is the evidence to substantiate claims that baptism is being used systematically and extensively to support asylum claims? If the Minister cannot give me that information now—I understand that it is a big ask—can he please write to me? We would like to see the evidence.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about presence of GPs on the Bibby Stockholm barge

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 30th January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government how many days is a GP on site on the Bibby Stockholm each week; and whether they have plans to review this level of provision.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con, Home Office): The medical facility on the barge is staffed 5 days a week to provide an onsite primary healthcare service with which the asylum seekers will register; this means individuals will not need to register with a local GP practice. The medical team has previous experience of working with asylum seekers.

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about conditions for asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge

The Bishop of Chelmsford received the following written answer on 23rd January 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford asked His Majesty’s Government what risk assessments are carried out when facilitating room-sharing on the Bibby Stockholm, and at what intervals this is repeated after the outset of an asylum seeker’s relocation to the vessel.

Votes: UK-Rwanda Asylum Agreement

On 22nd January 2024, the House of Lords debated a motion on whether the government should ratify the UK-Rwanda Asylum partnership. A vote was held on the motion, in which a Bishop took part:

Bishop of Gloucester questions decision to legislate over safety of Rwanda

The Bishop of Gloucester spoke in a debate on the government’s asylum agreement with Rwanda on 22nd January 2024, questioning the government’s decision to declare Rwanda a safe country would provide adequate protection to asylum seekers facing deportation:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I welcome the opportunity to speak today and thank the International Agreements Committee for its excellent report. I will just say that as Lord Bishops we take no position on this Bench based on tribal loyalty and we are not whipped. Instead, because of what our Christian faith teaches us about care for the stranger, we have spoken with one voice on these Benches.

I am focusing on the issues before us today; friends on this Bench will speak to wider points in the coming weeks, as the Bill is discussed. As has been said, this treaty is the central plank of the Government’s case that Rwanda is a safe country for asylum seekers. As others have commented, it is remarkable for the Executive to request that parliamentarians declare another nation state safe, and safe ad infinitum, on the basis that one drafted international agreement answers all the concerns of the Supreme Court. If Parliament proceeds to, in effect, substitute its judgment for that of the Supreme Court, where does that leave the constitutional principle of the separation of functions and what precedent is this setting?

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.

Bishop of Durham asks about potential for community sponsorship scheme for Afghan refugees

The Bishop of Durham asked a question on the potential for community sponsorship, similar to the Homes for Ukraine scheme, to allow Afghan refugees to come to the UK on 12th December 2023, during a discussion on the threat of deportation faced by former Afghan special forces soldiers currently in Pakistan:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare my interest as a trustee of Reset, as laid out in the register. The British population have a lot of sympathy with these Afghans. What work has been done to learn the lessons from Ukraine and see what levels of community sponsorship might be offered to such Afghans who qualify under these schemes, and to welcome them here? I recognise that this is a Home Office question, so I understand if the Minister needs to write.

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