Tag: refugees

Bishop of Durham asks Government about delays in reuniting migrant and refugee families

On Wednesday 17th January 2018 Baroness Massey of Darwen asked Her Majesty’s Government “what, if any, support they are providing to the government of Greece, the UNHCR or Greek or international non-governmental organisations to help meet the challenges of winter for migrants and refugees in hotspots in the Greek islands.” The Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, asked a follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, what steps are being taken to pressure the EU to accelerate family reunification processes? Our colleagues in the Anglican communion in Europe have noted that applications made for family members in Greece to come to this country are currently taking well over a year and that the processes have, sadly, slowed in the past 18 months. Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks Government about delays in reuniting migrant and refugee families”

Bishop of Gloucester asks Government about child refugee policy post-Brexit

On the 8th January 2018 Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked Her Majesty’s Government “what new arrangements they propose to introduce to support child refugees following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.” The Bishop of Gloucester, Rt Revd Rachel Treweek, asked a follow up question:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: Can the Minister confirm that any new provision will be at least as generous as under the Dublin III regulations and that there will be even wider scope for child refugees to join ​not only parents in the UK but also other relatives such as uncles, aunts, grandparents and adult siblings? Will they also be given the support they need to live safely and in decent conditions? Continue reading “Bishop of Gloucester asks Government about child refugee policy post-Brexit”

Bishop of Carlisle supports Refugees (Family Reunion) Bill

On 15th December 2017 the House of Lords debated the Refugees (Family Reunion) Bill [HL], a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Baroness Hamwee. The Bishop of Carlisle, Rt Revd James Newcome, spoke in support of the Bill:

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: My Lords, I too am most grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee. I am delighted that this debate is about families, which is an apt topic as Christmas approaches. I am not speaking of the nostalgic image of a nuclear family around a groaning table; the Christian table is plainer but more welcoming and inclusive, a table around which all are welcome.

Round the table gathers a family. Our country has for so long and so rightly emphasised the family as a—perhaps the—key building block of society. At the present time we seek urgently for social integration, a society where shared values and shared culture bind us all into an ethos of mutuality which naturally, organically, squeezes out extremisms, violence, injustices and hate. Continue reading “Bishop of Carlisle supports Refugees (Family Reunion) Bill”

Bishops show support for Refugees (Family Reunion) Bill

The following letter, in support of Baroness Hamwee’s Refugees (Family Reunion) Bill signed by eight bishops, seven of whom are Lords Spiritual, appeared in The Times newspaper on 15th December 2017.

REFUGEE REFORM BILL

Sir, Britain is one of the few countries in Europe that does not allow refugee children who arrive alone in the UK to bring a parent here. This is the most glaring example of overly restrictive rules that deny many refugees the chance to live with their family. Today Baroness Hamwee will sponsor the Refugee Families Reunion Bill in the House of Lords, which would allow a wider range of family members to be reunited with refugees living in the UK. Continue reading “Bishops show support for Refugees (Family Reunion) Bill”

Bishop of Coventry questions Government about support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

Bp Coventry May 2015

On the 26th October the House of Lords debated a motion from Baroness Helic, “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to support the Rohingya refugees currently displaced in Bangladesh.” The Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth took part in the debate highlighting the need for a greater action by the international community to support agents of compassion and to address the underlying causes of the crisis. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry questions Government about support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh”

Bishop of Salisbury discusses Intergenerational Fairness – Debt, Refugees & Our Environmental Legacy

Bp Salisbury 2 

On 26th October 2017 the House of Lords debated a motion from Baroness Smith of Newnham asking “That the House takes note of the case for intergenerational fairness to form a core part of government policy across all departments.” The Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, spoke in the debate, highlighting the amount of debt being carried by young people and the environmental legacy this generation was bequeathing to future generations.

Continue reading “Bishop of Salisbury discusses Intergenerational Fairness – Debt, Refugees & Our Environmental Legacy”

Dame Caroline Spelman MP hosts debate about the importance of English Language Teaching for Refugees

Spelman CCQs June 2015 1
On the 24th October the Second Church Estates Commissioner, Dame Caroline Spelman MP hosted a debate about the importance of English teaching for refugees.

Continue reading “Dame Caroline Spelman MP hosts debate about the importance of English Language Teaching for Refugees”

Bishop of Durham leads House of Lords debate on Refugee Welcome report

On the 19 July 2017 the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler held a short debate on the report of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees, Refugees Welcome? The Experience of New Refugees in the UK. The Bishop  asked the Government to appoint a Minister for Refugees and to implement the report’s call for a national refugee integration strategy. Baroness Williams of Trafford, Minister of State at the Home Office responded to the debate for the Government. Her speech and that of the Bishop, are reproduced in full below. All speeches in the debate can be read in full: here

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees, Refugees Welcome? The Experience of New Refugees in the UK, published on 25 April.

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The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, I am pleased to be able to introduce this short debate on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Refugees’ report, Refugees Welcome?. It was a privilege to serve on this group. It was also often disturbing to hear the stories of those who, having experienced years of difficulty as asylum seekers, found the joy of being finally given refugee status taken away by the poor ways in which they were then treated. As a nation, we had agreed that they deserved to be fully welcomed—but our systems often left them bereft and destitute. As the report makes clear, we have work to do as a nation to ensure that those who we have agreed are refugees and whom we believe have much to offer our land are made truly welcome.

Continue reading “Bishop of Durham leads House of Lords debate on Refugee Welcome report”

Bishop of Durham asks Government about unaccompanied child refugees in Europe

In the House of Lords on 19th July 2017 Peers responded to a statement by the Immigration Minister about support for child refugees. The Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler, asked a follow-up question:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: My Lords, more than 25,000 unaccompanied children arrived in Italy last year. The cut-off date for Section 67 was 20 March 2016, which means that none of the children who arrived in Italy after that date could be helped. Given that no children have yet been transferred from Greece and Italy under the scheme, will the Government consider resetting the cut-off date? Continue reading “Bishop of Durham asks Government about unaccompanied child refugees in Europe”

Bishop of Southwark – UNHCR criteria for deciding refugee vulnerability should include religion

 On the 18th July 2017, the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, received a written answer to a question about the UNHCR’s assessment of refugees.

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, whether they have made any representations to the UNHCR concerning that agency’s understanding of vulnerability, with a view to redefining that definition to include religion as one of the criteria used to identify those refugees most in need of assistance. [HL705]

Continue reading “Bishop of Southwark – UNHCR criteria for deciding refugee vulnerability should include religion”