Churches are naïve if they support the asylum claims of Muslim migrants who seek to avoid deportation by converting to Christianity, a high-profile former Anglican bishop has said following a failed bomb attack in Liverpool.
Fr Michael Nazir-Ali said reports that people-traffickers were advising migrants to strengthen their claims by becoming Christians were “well-founded”.
Although the churches have a role in offering humanitarian aid and advice they should not a partisan position in the assessment of asylum claims in case they were being misled, said Fr Nazir-Ali, the former Bishop of Rochester who was ordained a Catholic priest less than three weeks ago.
