A Conversation Cafe volunteer in Crewe chatting to local refugees in 2019
The Committee for Outreach in the Diocese of Chester welcomes the Court of Appeal’s ruling which has declared the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda as unlawful.
The Government has stated its intention to appeal against the decision.
The Diocesan Director of Outreach, the Revd Peter Froggatt says: “The Court of Appeal’s ruling is good news for those who are seeking refuge in the UK, and will be a significant challenge to the Government’s plans to detain and deport them.”
Despite the Court of Appeal's decision, Christians across the diocese are encouraged to write to their local MP and ask them to put pressure on the Government to reconsider the proposed Illegal Migration Bill, of which the Rwanda plan was a part.
A template letter, which can be downloaded below, outlines some of the objections and concerns that have been expressed by those campaigning on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers in relation to the Bill.
Download the template letter and send it to your MP
Peter says: “The letter neatly expresses some of the criticism people have made about the Illegal Migration Bill, of which the Government’s plan to deport people to Rwanda was a part.
“As Christians we want the UK to be a place of compassion, generosity, and welcome and I want to encourage anyone who feels strongly about these issues, to write to their local MP to further pressure our elected leaders to rethink this unworkable and unjust Bill.”
The Illegal Migration Bill is currently being considered by the House of Lords, with further debate and a vote expected in the House of Commons soon.
The Bill aims to change the law so that those who arrive in the UK illegally will not be able to stay here and will instead be detained and then promptly removed, either to their home country or a safe third country.
However, critics, including the Archbishop of Canterbury have urged both Houses of Parliament to “reconsider much of the Bill” for its failure to “live up to our history, our moral responsibility and our political and international interests.”
Download the template letter and send it to your MP.
The names and correspondence addresses of all MPs can be found on the website, www.theyworkforyou.com
How are parishes supporting refugees and asylum seekers?
A number of parishes across the Diocese of Chester are actively supporting refugees and asylum seekers. In a video filmed and published to mark Refugee Week in June 2023, we met people in Runcorn who welcome into the community those people seeking refuge. What the film here.
And in Crewe in 2019, Becky Hirst told us how she and some local church volunteers support local refugees by welcoming them to church and helping them with their paperwork and English language skills over a cup of tea. Watch the film from 2019 here.