"Immigration minister should meet with the Church"
21 February 2008
The Evangelical Alliance is calling for a meeting between the Immigration Minister and Church leaders after a UN report outlined areas of concern for religious freedom in the UK. The Alliance was one of the faith groups which met UN Special Rapporteur for religion and belief, Asma Jahangir during her visit to the UK last June.
During the meeting, the Alliance gave her examples of translation problems and ludicrous questioning of asylum seekers by case workers and the judiciary, which led to people being refused asylum from dangerous home countries.
The Special Rapporteur’s subsequent report on freedom of religion and belief stressed the importance of reliable and impartial interpretation services. It also reiterated that a conversion to Christianity after an asylum-seeker left his or her country of origin should not give rise to a presumption that the claim is fabricated.
She added that claims “based on well-founded fear of religious persecution, are subject to rigid scrutiny” and few applications are successful.
Gareth Wallace, Parliamentary Officer for the Evangelical Alliance, said: “I think rigid is putting it politely. Not only are caseworkers seemingly rigid in their desire to reject claims on the grounds of religious persecution, but their questioning is often both unfair and ignorant.
“Ascertaining a religious converts’ genuineness by asking them questions including ‘How do you cook a turkey for Christmas?’ – as one asylum seeker we have spoken to was asked – does not cut the theological mustard with any Christian.
“The Special Rapporteur isn’t the only one to find Government statistics hard to source on this issue. Liam Byrne has admitted to Parliament that he doesn’t record why people claim asylum, something we find absurd.”
Mr Wallace said examples of poor interpretation the Alliance has been told about include one interpreter being unable to translate the word “gospel.”
He added that although civil servants have been helpful when the Alliance has raised these problems, Immigration Minister Liam Byrne has so far failed to meet Church leaders.
They have asked for a meeting in the hope that he will take up the Evangelical Alliance’s offer of arranging theological training seminars for Home Office staff, immigration, judges, adjudicators, caseworkers and interpreters.
“We hope this international pressure on religious liberty issues from the UN will inspire him to engage with the Church leaders, who have been working constructively and compassionately on asylum for years,” said Mr Wallace.
Media Contact:
Charis Gibson
Evangelical Alliance
020 7207 2117
eapress@eauk.org
Notes to editors:
The report was produced by UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief Asma Jahangir, following her visit to Great Britain and Northern Ireland from June 4 to 15, 2007. The report can be found in full
The Alliance carried out its own report into asylum and religious conversion last year, using evidence from asylum seekers, church leaders and politicians from across the country. This report was named ‘Alltogether for Asylum Justice’
The Evangelical Alliance, formed in 1846, is the largest body serving evangelical Christians in the UK, and has a membership including denominations, churches, organisations and individuals. The mission of the Evangelical Alliance is to unite evangelicals to present Christ credibly as good news for spiritual and social transformation. According to a Tearfund survey (Churchgoing in the UK, 2007), there are approximately 2 million evangelical Christians in the UK. For more information, go to www.eauk.org.
