Steve Kneale, has shared a proposal for a possible solution the current crisis in the channel tunnel with people seeking to enter Britain for asylum through hazardous boat crossings organised by people smugglers. These crossings are dangerous and this week resulted in tragic loss of life.** I don’t intend to engage with the detail of… Continue reading Reforming the asylum system
Tag: asylum
Will a work guarantee scheme help asylum seekers?
On Friday last week, Steve Kneale wrote about asylum seekers and work. Currently asylum seekers are legally forbidden from taking on paid work during what often turns out to be a lengthy process. During that time they are provided with Home Office accommodation and a very minimal allowance. Many of us find this grievous. Here… Continue reading Will a work guarantee scheme help asylum seekers?
Is food poverty real and do food banks help?
If you were to talk to people about the big needs in communities and how churches can help, you’ll find that they quite often settle on the assumption that a primary issue is food poverty. Furthermore, it tends to be assumed that a major solution to food poverty is the existence of foodbanks (alongside things… Continue reading Is food poverty real and do food banks help?
Pastoring Asylum Seekers
One of the privileges I had serving in an urban multicultural context was the opportunity to pastor asylum seekers and other immigrants seeking leave to remain. As well as those with what you might call fairly conventional asylum claims and those who were primarily economic migrants we also saw a number of people who were… Continue reading Pastoring Asylum Seekers
Was Jesus a refugee?
We are around about the stage of Christmas when people focus in on the visit of the magi and Joseph fleeing Herod with his young family to Egypt. Over the years, people have frequently drawn comparisons with the early life of Jesus and the experience of refugees forced to flee their own countries and seek… Continue reading Was Jesus a refugee?
Is there a Biblical argument against immigration?
In my article about Brexit, I explained that I did not see the key issue as immigration. In fact between you and me, it was one of the things that so easily could have turned me off against the whole referendum. Ironically even though Brexit focused on immigration, it wasn’t really a debate about it… Continue reading Is there a Biblical argument against immigration?
Learning to See – That important detail
On a couple of occasions, I’ve been asked for informal advice about a legal matter. Sometimes it has been to do with employment law, once or twice about family law and often to do with immigration and asylum. Often people start with a lengthy story of every single possible grievance or defence that might have… Continue reading Learning to See – That important detail
Learning to see – the full picture
Going back a month or two, you may remember that when asked, Boris Johnson promised that if necessary, the armed forces would be made available to help with the effort against COVID-19. This led to predictable headlines and tweets about troops on the street and people claiming that the Government was using the pandemic as… Continue reading Learning to see – the full picture
Welcoming Refugees – The extra mile
There were about 35,000 asylum seekers who came to the UK last year. Some of them will have ended up at churches, some because they were Christians, whether nominally or as heart believers. Others will have come looking for help, advice, practical support and ESOL classes. Some will have been avoided to kids clubs Toddlers… Continue reading Welcoming Refugees – The extra mile
Refugees – Blessing or burden?
Thinking back to a conversation I had with two other Christians about the Home Office’s approach to processing asylum claims, I was struck again by how much our perception of the asylum system is shaped by our view of asylum seekers themselves. If I think that asylum seekers are very likely to be fake, just… Continue reading Refugees – Blessing or burden?
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