The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, told The Mirror it has long been the British way to meet those asking for help with ‘compassion and understanding’ as he said Nigel Farage’s plans are ‘beneath us as a nation’
The UK’s top bishop has said Nigel Farage’s draconian plans to deport asylum seekers to despots and war zones is “beneath us as a nation”.
Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell told The Mirror that it has long been the British way to meet those asking for help with “compassion and understanding”. And he warned that ‘send them back’ is “not a sensible and compassionate response”.
The Archbishop warned that Britain “cannot simply close the door” to those fleeing war, violence and persecution. It comes days after Mr Farage – who has previously said Christianity “should be recognised by Government at all levels” and claimed Christian values make this country great – pledged to send asylum seekers back to countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea and Sudan.
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The Archbishop, who sits in the House of Lords, said: “We cannot simply close the door on people fleeing war, violence and persecution. ‘Send them all back’ is not a sensible or compassionate response, and is beneath us as a nation.
“We need a system that is fair and functional and works well for everyone – including those living near hotels and other asylum accommodation. But this debate also goes to the heart of who we are.
“It is the Christian way to meet those asking for help with compassion and understanding, and it has long been the British way to give shelter where we can to those escaping violence and conflict abroad. It should remain that way.”
Mr Farage sparked outrage when he said he was prepared to do a deal with the Taliban to return asylum seekers. He also boasted he would seek to send people back to Iran, Sudan, Eritrea and Syria – despite warnings they could be killed or tortured.
On Wednesday the Reform leader said he would look to deport women and children in the longer term. The comments by the Archbishop of York – the most senior figure in the Church of England until a new Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed – indicate Mr Farage faces a battle with the country’s most senior Christians if he tries to implement his plans.
Just last year the Reform chief claimed “Judeo-Christian values” were at the root of “everything” in Britain. He has also previously called for a “muscular defence” of Christianity and said the religion “should be recognised by Government at all levels.”
Writing for The Mirror back in 2015, he said: “We are a Christian country with a Christian constitution and a Christian monarch. Whilst I would not ever present myself as being a person of deep religious conviction I absolutely believe in Christian values that have made this country great.”
Asked earlier this week whether it would be hypocritical to ignore church chiefs given his previous remarks, Mr Farage said: “Whoever the Christian leaders are at any given point in time, I think over the last decades quite a few of them have been rather out of touch, perhaps with their own flock.
“Given the types of people appointed to be the Archbishop of Canterbury, that’s probably the biggest understatement of the day.” A spokesman for the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, told The Mirror she was “fully supportive” of the Archbishop of York’s statement.
It comes as the Home Office warned that forcing an asylum hotel to close in Epping risks more protests across the country.
Government lawyers called for a temporary injunction ordering migrants out of the Bell Hotel to be torn up. Three senior judges will rule on Friday on whether to overturn it.
Ministers were rocked last week when a High Court judge said asylum seekers could not be housed there beyond September 12. Keir Starmer has vowed to close all asylum hotels by 2029, but the Home Office says the process must be carefully managed.
Edward Brown KC, representing the department, told the Court of Appeal on Thursday that individual injunction bids “ignore the obvious consequence that closure of one site means that capacity then needs to be identified elsewhere”.
Since last Tuesday’s decision dozens of town halls have indicated they may mount their own legal challenges to asylum hotels in their areas. The intervention of England’s top Bishop comes at a time of heightened tensions over asylum.
Clergy in the House of Lords were among the most vocal critics of the ill-fated Tory plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.In 2022 all 25 declared the policy “should shame us as a nation”. After Mr Farage outlined his plans on Tuesday the Taliban – which re-seized control in Afghanistan in 2021 and immediately brought back oppressive laws for women – said it was prepared to work with him.
Reform claims it would deport 600,000 people in five years. On Tuesday Mr Farage claimed his scheme would stop Channel crossings “within days” and “save tens and possibly hundreds of billions of pounds”.
Asked about the risk that people could be tortured or killed under his plans, Mr Farage said on Tuesday: “We cannot be held responsible for all the world’s sins.”
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