Fake Conversions and Asylum Seekers
from Christian Concern:
Our Head of Public Policy Tim Dieppe discusses how the Church can respond to sharp criticism for supporting bogus conversion claims by asylum seekers.
[…] Church attacked for facilitating bogus conversions
Ezedi’s case has kicked up a huge fuss about fake conversions to aid asylum claims. Former Home Secretary, Suella Braverman wrote in The Telegraph that as Home Secretary she “became aware of churches around the country facilitating industrial-scale bogus asylum claims.” She claimed that “migrants are directed to these churches as a one-stop shop to bolster their asylum case.” She said that she had set up a dedicated taskforce to “root out the grifters enabling this sordid business.”
Dame Priti Patel, also a former Home Secretary, accused churches of “political activism” in their approach to asylum seekers, and claimed that religious institutions support cases “without merit.” Nick Timothy wrote that “the church is also complicit” by allowing fake conversions to flood the asylum system. Tim Loughton MP, said he was concerned that “Christian conversion had become a scam” and claimed that some asylum seekers had got crucifix tattoos to reinforce their claims. Melanie Phillips wrote that the “Church allows asylum seekers to exploit it”, and accused the CofE of being naïve about the motives of migrants who convert while failing to campaign for real Christian refugees to come to the UK. It is rare to see such a chorus of attack on the Church, but the anger about allowing this false convert to stay in the country is entirely understandable.
New laws being considered
Home Secretary James Cleverly is set to receive a report detailing the full facts of the Ezedi case and is said to be considering whether any legal changes are needed to tighten up the scrutiny of asylum seekers’ conversion claims.
Meanwhile, the Church of England has insisted that it is not its job to vet asylum seekers. A spokesman said: “It is the role of the Home Office, and not the Church, to vet asylum seekers and judge the merits of their individual cases.” But if the Church won’t judge who are genuine converts and who are not, then who will?
What can be done?
As a nation we should want to grant asylum to those who genuinely need it, but we can’t have everyone who claims to be a convert being granted asylum. So how can this conundrum be resolved. There are some principles to bear in mind as we think through what can be done about this.
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