Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. More than 8 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their home country due to the war so far, and over 165,000 have been safely resettled in the UK. This is largely due to thousands of households welcoming strangers into their …
Asylum and Migration
Response to the ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ – March 2023
Over 1000 church leaders from across the UK have joined senior Church leaders from JPIT's denominations in a joint statement expressing opposition to the government's new 'Illegal Migration Bill': We are appalled by the proposals in the government’s ‘Illegal Migration Bill’ to detain, punish and …
What does Government Support for Asylum Seekers really provide?
We’ve got used to seeing the UK government’s approach to asylum seekers when they arrive in the UK in the news over the past couple of years. From the upsetting description of conditions in processing centres to plans to send “illegitimate” claimants to Rwanda upon entry, there hasn’t been much …
God with Us – the Refugees of Calais and Dunkirk
Ella Sibley-Ryan, Mission Projects Officer for the Methodist Church, writes about her experiences volunteering with refugees in France. The people sleeping rough in Calais and Dunkirk have come from Sudan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia and countries all over the Middle East and …
What are the stories we should tell about the humanitarian crisis at Manston Airport Asylum centre?
The Prison Officers Association described Manston Airport processing centre as “A humanitarian crisis on British soil”. The Government has admitted that its treatment of asylum seekers at Manston was not “legally compliant”. The pictures and stories we are seeing are appalling and angering in …
Afghanistan and the UK – One Year On from the Fall Of Kabul
One year ago, it was reported that the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, had fled the country. In April 2022, President Biden had announced his intention of fully withdrawing of US troops from Afghanistan. Subsequently, the Taliban’s attacks across the country intensified and a number of …
Five things you can do to mark Refugee Week (20-26 June 2022)
Refugee Week is taking place from 20-26 June this year, with the theme of 'Healing'. There is so much going on across the UK to celebrate the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees - we've picked out five things you and your church can do: Reflect on Sanctuary each day A new free …
Nationality and Borders Act 2022
A statement on behalf of the Methodist Church in Britain, Baptists Together and the United Reformed Church We lament the passing of the Nationality and Borders Bill into law. Compelled by the Biblical call to welcome the stranger, our denominations were outspoken in our criticism of the Bill, …
Senior Church leaders write to Peers ahead of House of Lords vote on Nationality & Borders Bill
As the Nationality and Borders Bill returns to the House of Lords this week, several senior Church leaders have written to Peers to encourage them to stand up for changes to the Bill. On Tuesday 26th April, Peers are due to debate the Bill once again, during the 'ping-pong' stage of the Bill, …
Nationality and Borders Bill – What’s next?
In February, 1000+ faith leaders wrote to the Prime Minister raising their concerns about the Nationality and Borders Bill, urging him to make changes even at this late stage. At the beginning of April, we received a reply to the letter from Tom Pursglove MP, Minister for Justice and Tackling …