Caritas Social Action Network, the domestic agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, is gravely concerned about the UK Government’s recent asylum policy announcements as part of a wider tide of anti-migrant sentiment and legislation. We reject these measures as incompatible with the Gospel and teaching of the Catholic Church.

 

The proposed policies would quadruple the wait before those with refugee status can access permanent settlement from five to twenty years, exacerbating the stress and uncertainty faced by people trying to rebuild their lives in the UK. Only some who work or study may be permitted a faster pathway to settlement, but one fraught with uncertainty and heavy penalties for any challenges they face.

By ending the right to family reunion – one of the few safe routes available – the Government will separate loved ones from one another and force people to take riskier journeys to be reunited, putting more lives at risk.

By increasing the forced removal of adults and families, the Government will further displace people from their communities and reverse a decade of work to reduce the numbers of people subjected to the harmful practice of immigration detention, including children. As we saw in the ‘Windrush’ scandal, where British citizens from commonwealth countries were detained and removed, focusing on increasing numbers of people removed places access to justice at risk, with devastating consequences for human lives.

And by removing the right to safety nets against destitution, the Government will drive people and families on the move into homelessness, leave them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, and strip them of their dignity.

Catholic teaching on migration: One human family

The Catholic Church’s solidarity with people on the move is rooted in the conviction that we are one human family, transcending states and nationalities. As Pope St John Paul II affirmed, “we are all really responsible for all”[1].

As such, Catholics affirm the right to migrate, not only by those fleeing threats to their safety but also by those seeking a more fulfilled life for themselves and their families. In a world with vast inequality of access to wealth and resources within and between states, Pope Francis reminded us that the limits and borders of individual states must not stand in the way of people seeking a dignified life [2].

This includes those whose asylum applications are refused, those travelling by boat, those denied the right to work, and those who are criminalised for seeking safety or an opportunity for a more dignified life.

Catholic teaching on solidarity with our neighbour: Against earned dignity

Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that our neighbour is every person in need, regardless of nationality, status or culture. It calls us into acts of solidarity with everyone whose fundamental dignity is threatened by poverty, injustice and exploitation.

In contrast, the Government’s proposed policies strengthen hierarchies of access to care and safety based on immigration status, and imply that some people are less important, less worthy, and less human than others. For Catholics, someone’s immigration status cannot determine how they are treated by a society. But these policies turn the right to be treated with dignity – to have food, shelter, safety, relationships  – into something that has to be earned, not something that stems from our being made in the image of Christ. Pope Francis denounces such approaches [3]:

This way of thinking and acting is unacceptable, since it sets certain political preferences above deep convictions of our faith: the inalienable dignity of each human person regardless of origin, race or religion, and the supreme law of fraternal love

Catholics across England and Wales continue to act in solidarity with those on the move to affirm their dignity in the face of cruel and exclusionary policies, being faithful to Catholic social teaching and following in the footsteps of many before. Pope Pius XII reflects that “there never has been a period during which the Church has not been active on behalf of migrants, exiles and refugees.” [4]

The Government’s asylum policies are at odds with this work of the Church, animated by the life of Christ and the Holy Spirit, to welcome, promote, protect and integrate refugees and people on the move.

They also threaten the very fabric of our churches, which are made up of diverse congregations and have been energised and enriched by migrants and refugees of faith throughout history.

The use of Christian symbolism and festivals to further racist and exclusionary political ideologies and agendas

Pope Francis warned that when fear around migration is exploited for political purposes, it leads to xenophobia [5]. The Government’s anti-refugee and anti-migrant policies embolden and give legitimacy to political movements and leaders whose ideology is rooted in racism, including islamophobia and antisemitism. They create a climate in which racist and xenophobic violence is allowed to flourish, threatening individuals’ safety and the cohesion of our communities. This climate also fuels hostility to those who work to uphold the dignity of migrants and refugees, including Catholic charities.

These emboldened movements seek to fracture the unity of the Church in the UK which has been enriched throughout history by migrants of faith. Their divisive and hateful ideologies are completely incompatible with scripture and the teaching of the Catholic Church. Yet we are seeing an increasing misuse of Christian language, symbolism and even the celebration of Christmas to advance these agendas.

The Christmas story: God comes among the displaced

At Christmas, Catholics are reminded again of our commitment to those on the move through the reality of Jesus’ life. As Pope Pius XII wrote: [6]

The émigré Holy Family of Nazareth, fleeing into Egypt, is the archetype of every refugee family. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, living in exile in Egypt to escape the fury of an evil king, are, for all times and all places, the models and protectors of every migrant, alien and refugee of whatever kind who, whether compelled by fear of persecution or by want, is forced to leave his native land, his beloved parents and relatives, his close friends, and to seek a foreign soil.

Around the Christ Child gather marginalised workers (the shepherds) and travellers from other cultures and religions (the Magi). All are welcomed, and all are drawn into Christ’s mission of compassion and solidarity across difference.

We invite all Catholics across England and Wales to join with Christians of other denominations, and with those of all faiths and none, in Christ’s loving work this Christmas. As Pope Leo XIV writes: [7]

Where the world sees threats, [the Church] sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges. She knows that her proclamation of the Gospel is credible only when it is translated into gestures of closeness and welcome. And she knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.

 

[1] St John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 1986, 38

[2] Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, 2020, 121

[3] Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, 2020, 87

[4] Pope Pius XII, Exsul Familia Nazarethana, 1952

[5] Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, 2020, 39

[6] Pope Pius XII, Exsul Familia Nazarethana, 1952

[7] Pope Leo XIV, Dilexi Te, 2020, 75