Welcoming refugees and migrants is a duty for Christians, the lead bishop for migrants and refugees of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has said.
Bishop Paul McAleenan said that for the Christian, supporting refugees and asylum seekers cannot be a “hobby or a niche interest”.
Criticising the government’s Illegal Migration Bill, he added: “The purpose of the law is to uphold justice and mercy, and when the effect of law compounds trauma and increases the suffering, justice and mercy are not being served”.
He called for “an asylum system which is designed for the welfare of refugees and not for their harm”.
He was speaking on 24 May at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Farm Street, London, at an event organised by London Churches’ Refugee Fund. It was attended by the Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, John Perumbalath, who also serves as chair of the Churches’ Refugee Network.
Bishop McAleenan said: “Going to the aid of migrants, refugees, displaced people and asylum seekers is not simply almsgiving or an act of kindness but an act of justice.”
He added, “It is always human dignity that takes priority, not what some choose to call ‘The National Interest’. Irrespective of their legal status, human dignity must be upheld, protected and nurtured.”
Two weeks ago, Bishop McAleenan issued a statement supporting the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who had called for a more effective and humane asylum system.
“Refugee policy must prioritise the dignity of everyone who is driven from their homeland,” said Bishop McAleenan.
“The current system, under which people risk their lives making dangerous journeys and languish for months or years waiting for their claims to be heard, fails to do this.
“Extending safe routes for people to reach the UK, tackling the backlog of asylum claims so that they receive a fair and timely hearing and cooperating with other nations to collectively fulfil our obligations under the Refugee Convention are all necessary steps towards a more humane and effective system.”
He criticised immigration detention and any return to the routine detention of children.
The Jesuit Refugee Service was among the refugee groups which voiced support for the bishop’s words. On Tuesday it held an information session at Farm Street about the JRS UK’s At Home Hosting Scheme, where hosts welcome refugee guests into their homes.