Bishops demand repeal of asylum law

Asylum clause unites British bishops in defence of destitute poor.
Freddy Gray reports
THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS of Great Britain have united to deliver an uncompromising attack on the Government’s controversial policies on the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.
In a hard hitting statement published jointly by the bishops’ conferences of England and Wales and Scotland, the bishops accused the Government of condemning poor migrants to “destitution”.
They spoke out in an attempt to influence voting on the Asylum and Immigration Bill 2004, which has passed through the House of Commons and will reach Committee Stage in the House of Lords early next week.
The statement was signed by Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue of Lancaster, chairman of the Office for Refugee Policy of the Bishops’ Conference for England and Wales, and Bishop John Mone of Paisley, the chairman of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.
They described the right to asylum as “a fundamental human right, guaranteed by international law” and severely criticised Section 55 of the Bill, which removes welfare benefits from migrants who fail to make a claim immediately on arrival in the United Kingdom. They offered their support to an amendment proposed by the Earl of Sandwich to repeal this clause.
“Those denied welfare support will not be allowed to work or be selfemployed,” they said. “The right-towork concession has already been removed. In the absence of resources for basic survival it is clear that destitution will be an immediate and direct result of Section 55. Despite legal rulings for greater flexibility in interpreting support-eligibility rules, and the recent government concession allowing asylum seekers up to three days to make a claim, the impact of Section 55 should not be underestimated.
“According to the Home Office, more than 7,500 people are already destitute, many of whom are sleeping rough, lack food and suffer severe physical and mental health problems. It has also placed an intolerable and unsustainable burden on church groups, refugees communities and charities. In the light of the Christian message of justice and peace for all — especially the persecuted, poor and vulnerable it is right that the Government should remove Section 55.” They added: “The Government should ensure that our asylum system recognises that seeking asylum is a fundamental human right, guaranteed in international law. It is therefore incumbent on the Government to make certain that no-one is left destitute, homeless or detained arbitrarily at any point during the process of an asylum application.” The Home Office responded to criticism of Section 55 by insisting that it was part of “some tough decisions” designed to tackle abuse of the asylum system and send “a clear message to those who are simply economic migrants that they will not be supported at public expense”.
The government insists that there are exceptions; families and individuals who can prove that they have been severely mistreated are supported by the Bill, even if they did not register their asylum claim at the earliest opportunity.
The bishops’ statement also drew the criticism of Ann Widdecombe, the Conservative MP for Maidstone and the Weald, a former Shadow Home Secretary and a devout Catholic since she converted from the Church of England a decade ago.
Miss Widdecombe said: “Of course they [immigrants] should present themselves immediately upon arrival in this country.” She said: “The Catholic Church is giving aid and comfort to those who traffic in human beings and encourage abuse of the asylum system. It is time they woke up.” Miss Widdecombe said that it is the position of the Catholic Church to comment on such issues, but thought that in this case the bishops’ opinions were completely wrong.
She added: “As a Catholic politician, I wish they would think a bit more.” Asylum and immigration are bound to feature heavily as issues in the next General Election, which could be staged as early as next year.
“As a country, we are still denying support to many people in dire situations,” said Richard McCready, national secretary to the Justice and Peace Commission for the Scottish bishops, on the issue of asylum seekers. “People are being encouraged to join the black economy and move into the dangerous situations that they find themselves in.”