Nigel Farage’s asylum plan ‘betrays Britain’s proud historical past’ says senior Bishop

EXCLUSIVE: The Right Reverend Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford – who sits in the House of Lords – told The Mirror that Reform UK’s policy goes against Christian values

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One of the UK’s most senior Bishops has warned that Nigel Farage’s proposed asylum ban “betrays Britain’s proud history”.

The Right Reverend Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, told The Mirror that a plan to shut down the asylum system for five years, as proposed by the Reform leader, flies in the face of Christian teachings. Mr Farage has repeatedly spoken about Judeo-Christian values – saying these are the heart of what makes Britain great.

But he has faced heavy criticism from Christian leaders. The latest intervention comes just days after the Catholic Church of England and Wales voiced its opposition to Mr Farage’s draconian plan. Dr Francis-Dehqani, one of 25 Church of England Bishops who sit in the House of Lords, told The Mirror: “Christians are called to love our neighbours and show hospitality to the stranger, a tradition deeply embedded in Britain’s long-standing history of protecting those fleeing danger and persecution.

“A policy that dismantles our asylum system and slams the door on all those seeking sanctuary, including children and those who have come through established routes, betrays Britain’s proud history of helping those most in need. Instead of locking out the vulnerable, politicians should develop proposals for building a fair, efficient and humane asylum system that honours the inherent dignity of those seeking sanctuary here.”

Last week Mr Farage announced he would bring in a five-year asylum pause if he becomes PM. This would mean Britain would not process any new asylum claims, regardless of their merit – which has sparked outrage among religious leaders.

James Tullett, chief executive at Refugee and Migrant Justice, told The Mirror: “We see every day how faith groups support people in their hour of need. Unlike many politicians who seek to exploit and divide us, bishops, imams, priests, rabbis and other religious leaders regularly preach a message of love, tolerance, acceptance and welcoming thy neighbour.

“This is the UK at its best, a place that does not shirk its responsibilities towards those seeking sanctuary and recognises its moral and legal obligations under international law. We would be a much more united society if our political leaders practised these same values.”

On Wednesday The Mirror reported that the Catholic Church had come out against Mr Farage’s latest proposals. It pointed to Pope Leo’s warnings about hatred and division when asked for its position on Mr Farage’s announcement.

In a statement a Church spokesperson said: “The Gospel calls us to welcome the stranger, and that call must shape how we speak about and respond to people seeking safety. In 2023, The Bishops’ of England and Wales published a document called Love The Stranger reminding us that every migrant has a name, a face and a story.

“As Pope Leo recently commented after his Apostolic Journey to France: ‘We can go back to the values of the Gospel, which are not about hatred and division, they are about understanding, compassion and accompaniment.

“‘I hope deeply, and the Church can be part of this, that we can find ways of reaching out to a majority of people of goodwill who will understand how important their commitment is, even in terms of participating in political processes, to make clear choices for the common good and not for extremist ideas (that perhaps will do much more damage than we are even aware of now).

“For our part, we [promote] the social doctrine of the Church, talking about, teaching about, preaching about what we believe. These are life-giving values and not about destruction, division, and hatred.”’

Last Monday Reform confirmed its plan would involve removing women and children from countries like Sudan and Afghanistan – but it is not clear where they would be sent.

Mr Farage said: “All of the Tories’ and Labour’s immigration schemes – Afghanistan, Palestine – will immediately be closed. Every asylum grant given in the prior five years will be reviewed.

“Those who came illegally, or from a safe country, will have their asylum grant revoked and be deported. Countries that refuse to take back their illegal migrants and criminals will face visa bans, sanctions, and tariffs.”

The Reform chief has previously come under fire from religious leaders over his party’s draconian migration plans. Last year the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell – who was the top Church of England bishop at the time – said Reform’s deportation proposals were “beneath us as a nation”.

Mr Farage hit back by claiming the Church of England had “gone to the dogs”. Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, who chairs the Christians in Parliament group, said it is “inexcusable” to make such claims about Christian values.

He told The Mirror: “Nigel Farage has said that he believes Christian values are what has made Britain great – I don’t disagree, in fact the values of western liberal democracies are fundamentally shaped by the gospel.

“One of those Christian values is that each human being is made in God’s image and loved by God. It’s a massive contradiction to say that we should be a Christian country but then to say things which are diametrically opposed to Christianity, such as denying people any basic human dignity.

“Nigel Farage does not claim to be a Christian and I applaud his honesty on that. But he then says he wants Britain to be run on Christian values whilst clearly not understanding them. And that is what’s inexcusable.”

Mr Farage – who makes no claims to be a devout Christian himself – has previously spoken about advancing Christian values. He told a press conference in February: “I can see that so much of what makes Britain such a great country is associated and irrevocably derived from Christian heritage.”

And in an Easter message earlier this year he said: “The Christian values on which our country is built are something to be proud of.”

Other prominent critics have included the Bishop of Oxford, who said it was “deeply disturbing” that Reform had attempted to “stoke division for political advantage”.

Challenged about the comments by senior Bishops, Mr Farage said: “You’ve just encapsulated beautifully, I couldn’t have done it better myself, why the Church of England has gone to the dogs.

“I think they’ve got a rather twisted view of what their flock in this country actually want them to do.”