Senior Church leaders have written to all MPs ahead of the vote on Wednesday 20 April 2022 on the Nationality and Borders Bill, asking them to endorse amendments to the Bill.
“We are writing as a group of Christian leaders, from denominations and traditions across the UK, ahead of the vote on the Nationality and Borders Bill in the House of Commons this week. We want to take this last opportunity to make it clear where we stand on the Nationality and Borders Bill. We urge you to use your influence to encourage concessions to the Bill ahead of the vote, and to support the changes made to the Bill in the House of Lords.”
Amendments made in the House of Lords and supported by the Church leaders include those to expand and protect family reunion rights, to enable asylum seekers to work after waiting six months for their application outcome, to establish a target for resettlement and to amend the two-tier system proposed for asylum seekers.
Leaders signing the letter:
- Bishop John Arnold, Roman Catholic Bishop of Salford
- Nicola Brady, General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
- Dr Patrick Coyle, Chair, Cytûn – Churches Together in Wales
- Revd Clare Downing, General Assembly Moderator of the United Reformed Church
- Barbara Easton, Vice-President of the Conference of the Methodist Church in Great Britain
- Rt Revd Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading
- Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, The Baptist Union of Great Britain
- Rev Ruth Harvey, Leader, the Iona Community
- Revd Sonia Hicks, President of the Conference of the Methodist Church in Great Britain
- The Bishop of Dover, The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin
- The Most Revd Andrew John, Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Bangor
- Paul Parker, Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain
- The Rt Revd Dr John Perumbalath, Bishop of Bradwell, Chair of Churches Refugee Network UK & Ireland
- Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary of Churches Together in England
- Lord Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith
- Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
- Lord Wallace of Tankerness, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
You can find out more and read the full text of the letter on the Joint Public Issues Team website.
