On 16th July 2019 Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked the Government “what assessment they have made of reports that children have been separated from their parents in migrant detention camps on the United States border with Mexico, and whether the human rights of migrants have been violated in those camps”. The Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, asked a follow-up question:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: Last week the six Texan bishops of the Episcopal Church on the border with Mexico wrote a letter stating:
“We call on our state and national leaders to reject fear-based policy-making that targets people who are simply seeking safety, and a chance to live and work in peace”.
Does the Minister agree with their view, and that we too need to ensure that our policy-making towards asylum seekers and refugees must be based never on fear but on humane, compassionate grounds? Continue reading “Bishop of Durham says UK asylum policy should be based on compassion not fear”
On 3rd July 2019 Baroness Williams of Trafford answered a written question from the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, on their definition of persecuted groups:
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I declare an interest as a trustee of 
The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, is it not the 28 days that people have to make arrangements, when they change from being asylum seekers to being refugees, that is the difficulty? It takes me more than 28 days to open a bank account if I am on good form, and there are lots of other things that they have to think about. Could the period not be extended beyond 28 days? Universal credit often does not kick in for at least 35 days. The 28-day period is just too tight for people in these circumstances.
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, it is striking how small a part asylum and resettlement have played in the conversation about a post-Brexit immigration system. Assuming—and praying—that we do not leave without a deal, I hope that discussion of these vital areas will not be limited to the margins of an already limited engagement with the immigration White Paper and the SIs. I have a series of questions for the Minister.
On 11th February 2019 Lord Dubs asked the Government “how many refugee children have arrived in the United Kingdom from Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey under the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme, since its launch in April 2016.” The Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, asked a follow-up question:
On the 8th January 2019 Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked a question of the government about migrants crossing the English channel. the Bishop of Gloucester, Rt Revd Rachel Treweek asked a follow-up question about the right of family reunion and child migrants.
The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, on a slightly different tack, given that those seeking asylum seem to be mainly Iranians, and the number of Iranians seeking asylum in the past two years has been steadily reducing, is work being done to discern whether this is an increase in number or a transfer of route? Is work being done to understand the dynamics of exactly what is going on? 
The Church of England in Parliament 
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