We must change the policies that victimize asylum seekers
posted by megan | 05.12.2005 13:06 | Migration
We are all impoverished by the denial of allwing people seeking asylum to live a full and equal life in which they would make huge contributions to the greater good, which they still manage to do in spite of criminal government policy.
We must change the policies that victimize asylum seekers
Letters to the Editor Times Online December 03, 2005
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,59-1901530,00.html
Sir, We believe that it is inhuman and unacceptable that some people seeking asylum are left homeless and destitute by government policies. Every city has people destitute or living on food parcels because they have no means of support. We support Church Action on Poverty's call to change the policies that make refused asylum seekers destitute.
As a society we have international moral and legal responsibilities to welcome those fleeing adversity from other parts of the world and provide social security. But the threat of destitution is being used as a way of pressuring refused asylum seekers to leave the country.
There are many people seeking asylum who have their cases refused but have no safe route to return or whose travel documents cause logistical problems for removal. There are also many cases where people are unjustly refused asylum.
All those within our borders - including people seeking asylum - should have the opportunity to help themselves and society through paid employment. Where this is not possible people seeking asylum, whatever their status, should be given the necessary rights to "food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services" (UN Declaration of Human Rights).
Refused asylum seekers are still human, and deserve to be treated the same, as we would expect if we had to flee to another country. We should offer the respect to our neighbours that we expect ourselves. This is at the heart of the Christian faith, and of many other religions.
We therefore call on the Government to allow people seeking asylum to sustain themselves and contribute to wider society through paid work, and where this is not possible, to re-instate 'refused' asylum seekers' entitlement to benefits until such time as they may be removed.
Yours sincerely,
Church of England
Rt Rev Dr John Sentamu
Archbishop of York
Rt Rev Peter Selby
Bishop of Worcester
Rt Rev Dr Peter Forster
Bishop of Chester
Rt Rev John Packer
Bishop of Ripon & Leeds
Rt Rev Jack Nicholls
Bishop of Sheffield
Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali
Bishop of Rochester
Rt Rev John Saxbee
Bishop of Lincoln
Rt Rev David Hawtin
Bishop of Repton
Rt Rev Dr John Inge
Bishop of Huntingdon
Rt Rev George Cassidy
Bishop of Southwell
Rt Rev John Pritchard
Bishop of Jarrow
Rt Rev David Rossdale
Bishop of Grimsby
Rt Rev Stephen Venner
Bishop of Dover in Canterbury
Rt Rev Michael Bourke
Bishop of Wolverhampton
Rt Rev Lindsay Urwin
Bishop of Horsham
Rt Rev Laurie Green
Bishop of Bradwell
Rt Rev Nigel Stock
Bishop of Stockport
Rt Rev Paul Butler
Bishop of Southampton
Rt Rev Stephen Oliver
Bishop of Stepney
Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith
Bishop of Shrewsbury
Rev Canon Adrian B Slade
Bishop of Gloucester's advisor
Roman Catholic Bishops
Rt Rev Patrick O'Donoghue
Bishop of Lancaster
Most Rev Mario Conti
Archdiocese of Glasgow
Most Rev Patrick Kelly
Archbishop of Liverpool
Rt Rev Christopher Budd
Bishop of Plymouth
Rt Rev John Crowley
Bishop of Middlesbrough
Rt Rev Edwin Regan
Bishop of Wrexham
Rt Rev Arthur Roche
Bishop of Leeds
Baptist Union
Dr Patricia Margaret Took
Team Leader London Baptist Association
Ernie Whalley & Graham Brownlee
Regional Ministers, Yorkshire Baptist Association
Church in Ireland
Most Rev Dr Robin Eames
Archbishop of Armagh
Church in Wales
Most Rev Barry Morgan
Archbishop of Wales
Rt Revd C Cooper
Bishop of St David's
Rt Rev Anthony Crockett
Bishop of Bangor
Methodist Church
Rev Alison Tomlin
Chair, Oxford & Leicester District
Rev David Emison
Chair, Cumbria District
Rev Peter F Curry
Chair, Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District
Rev Leo Osborn
Chair, Newcastle District
United Reformed Church
Revd Elizabeth Welch
Moderator West Midlands Synod
Rev Terry Oakley
Moderator East Midlands Synod
Rev Roberta Rominger
Moderator Thames North Synod
Wendy Cooper
Church & Society United Reformed Church
Scottish Episcopal Church
Most Rev Bruce Cameron
Bishop Of Aberdeen & Orkney
Racial justice/ Refugee agencies
Revd Myra Blyth
Moderator, Churches Commission on Racial Justice
Rev Robert Wiggs
Brentwood Diocese Refugee Proj
Churches Together in Britain & Ireland, co-presidents
Sister Eluned Williams (Methodist Church)
Rev Nezlin Sterling (National & International Secretary, New Testament Assembly).
Letters to the Editor Times Online December 03, 2005
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,59-1901530,00.html Sir, We believe that it is inhuman and unacceptable that some people seeking asylum are left homeless and destitute by government policies. Every city has people destitute or living on food parcels because they have no means of support. We support Church Action on Poverty's call to change the policies that make refused asylum seekers destitute.
As a society we have international moral and legal responsibilities to welcome those fleeing adversity from other parts of the world and provide social security. But the threat of destitution is being used as a way of pressuring refused asylum seekers to leave the country.
There are many people seeking asylum who have their cases refused but have no safe route to return or whose travel documents cause logistical problems for removal. There are also many cases where people are unjustly refused asylum.
All those within our borders - including people seeking asylum - should have the opportunity to help themselves and society through paid employment. Where this is not possible people seeking asylum, whatever their status, should be given the necessary rights to "food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services" (UN Declaration of Human Rights).
Refused asylum seekers are still human, and deserve to be treated the same, as we would expect if we had to flee to another country. We should offer the respect to our neighbours that we expect ourselves. This is at the heart of the Christian faith, and of many other religions.
We therefore call on the Government to allow people seeking asylum to sustain themselves and contribute to wider society through paid work, and where this is not possible, to re-instate 'refused' asylum seekers' entitlement to benefits until such time as they may be removed.
Yours sincerely,
Church of England
Rt Rev Dr John Sentamu
Archbishop of York
Rt Rev Peter Selby
Bishop of Worcester
Rt Rev Dr Peter Forster
Bishop of Chester
Rt Rev John Packer
Bishop of Ripon & Leeds
Rt Rev Jack Nicholls
Bishop of Sheffield
Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali
Bishop of Rochester
Rt Rev John Saxbee
Bishop of Lincoln
Rt Rev David Hawtin
Bishop of Repton
Rt Rev Dr John Inge
Bishop of Huntingdon
Rt Rev George Cassidy
Bishop of Southwell
Rt Rev John Pritchard
Bishop of Jarrow
Rt Rev David Rossdale
Bishop of Grimsby
Rt Rev Stephen Venner
Bishop of Dover in Canterbury
Rt Rev Michael Bourke
Bishop of Wolverhampton
Rt Rev Lindsay Urwin
Bishop of Horsham
Rt Rev Laurie Green
Bishop of Bradwell
Rt Rev Nigel Stock
Bishop of Stockport
Rt Rev Paul Butler
Bishop of Southampton
Rt Rev Stephen Oliver
Bishop of Stepney
Rt Rev Dr Alan Smith
Bishop of Shrewsbury
Rev Canon Adrian B Slade
Bishop of Gloucester's advisor
Roman Catholic Bishops
Rt Rev Patrick O'Donoghue
Bishop of Lancaster
Most Rev Mario Conti
Archdiocese of Glasgow
Most Rev Patrick Kelly
Archbishop of Liverpool
Rt Rev Christopher Budd
Bishop of Plymouth
Rt Rev John Crowley
Bishop of Middlesbrough
Rt Rev Edwin Regan
Bishop of Wrexham
Rt Rev Arthur Roche
Bishop of Leeds
Baptist Union
Dr Patricia Margaret Took
Team Leader London Baptist Association
Ernie Whalley & Graham Brownlee
Regional Ministers, Yorkshire Baptist Association
Church in Ireland
Most Rev Dr Robin Eames
Archbishop of Armagh
Church in Wales
Most Rev Barry Morgan
Archbishop of Wales
Rt Revd C Cooper
Bishop of St David's
Rt Rev Anthony Crockett
Bishop of Bangor
Methodist Church
Rev Alison Tomlin
Chair, Oxford & Leicester District
Rev David Emison
Chair, Cumbria District
Rev Peter F Curry
Chair, Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District
Rev Leo Osborn
Chair, Newcastle District
United Reformed Church
Revd Elizabeth Welch
Moderator West Midlands Synod
Rev Terry Oakley
Moderator East Midlands Synod
Rev Roberta Rominger
Moderator Thames North Synod
Wendy Cooper
Church & Society United Reformed Church
Scottish Episcopal Church
Most Rev Bruce Cameron
Bishop Of Aberdeen & Orkney
Racial justice/ Refugee agencies
Revd Myra Blyth
Moderator, Churches Commission on Racial Justice
Rev Robert Wiggs
Brentwood Diocese Refugee Proj
Churches Together in Britain & Ireland, co-presidents
Sister Eluned Williams (Methodist Church)
Rev Nezlin Sterling (National & International Secretary, New Testament Assembly).
posted by megan