The following letter appeared in The Sunday Times on 2nd September 2018. Signatories included two Lords Spiritual, the Bishops of Durham and Southwark, and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Williams of Oystermouth:
Honour Britain’s tradition of saving child refugees
Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders call on the government to offer sanctuary
September 2 2018
Three years ago today Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Kurdish refugee, drowned because he had no safe route to sanctuary in Europe. The lives of more than 9,000 people fleeing war and persecution have been lost in the Mediterranean since that little boy’s death.
This autumn Britain will mark a more hopeful anniversary. Eighty years ago the Kindertransport was launched, a rescue operation that saved 10,000 Jewish and other refugee children from Nazi persecution.
Now it is our turn to honour that legacy by helping more child refugees to find safety here. On this anniversary we call on the government to match the efforts of the Kindertransport and establish a lasting route to protection in the UK for 10,000 child refugees in future years. Continue reading “Letter: Honour Britain’s tradition of saving child refugees”
On 23rd July 2018, the Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received a written answer to a question on refugee resettlement:
On 2nd July 2018 Baroness Evans of Bowes Park repeated a Statement on the European Council that had been made by the Prime Minister earlier that day in the House of Commons. The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Dr Peter Forster, asked a question about regional disembarkation platforms, which are proposed centres for dealing with migrants and refugees seeking to enter the EU:
The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Scriven, for securing this debate. I also extend my thanks to the inspectors for their helpful report. While I am about it, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, for his kind words.
On the 11th May 2018 the Bishop of Chester, Rt Revd Peter Forster spoke during the Committee Stage debate of the Refugee (Family Reunion) Bill. Bishop Peter intervened during the debate on an amendment from Lord Marlesford to limit the number of family members who can be relocated. The Bishop disagreed with the amendment and believed it was drawn too narrowly. The amendment from Lord Marlesford was withdrawn at the end of the debate and the Bill will proceed to its next stage. The whole debate can be read at the link below.
On 2nd May 2018 the Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, received a written answer to a question on assistance for refugees: