by Obianuju Mbah, Christian Today
The Bishop of Oxford has published an open letter to Nigel Farage, criticising the Reform UK leader’s plans to overhaul Britain’s immigration system and accusing him of stoking fear.
Writing after Farage’s press conference in Oxford, Bishop Steven Croft described the city as “one of the kindest and most welcoming in the country” and said he was “profoundly” opposed to Reform’s proposals, which include deporting 600,000 migrants and withdrawing from international legal frameworks like the European Convention on Human Rights.
He wrote: “I heard no compassion in what you said for those who are at risk from people traffickers; those who fled for their lives; those who long for sanctuary and safety; the vulnerable who would be forcibly deported.
“The British people, as I understand them, want public policies founded on the deeply British and Christian values of compassion and care for those in need.”
He said that the Reform leader’s plans offered “broad brush” domestic crackdowns, and ignored the global complexity of migration, including the role of climate change, conflict, and international inequality.
“Migration is a global issue, not a local issue,” he said.