Asylum seekers 'baptised' in migrant hotel bathtubs 'to support claims'

The registered charity, which is linked to the minority Christadelphian sect, are said to be performing the practice in bathtubs.

The Christadelphian sect is a minor offshoot of Christianity that rejects some core principles of the Bible, including the Trinity.

Carelinks promotes its baptisms online and said in its 2024 annual report that it had converted "more than 260 individuals in about 30 countries" last year, reports The Telegraph.

One of the group's volunteers Duncan Heaster has spoken out on his travels around the country to baptise asylum seekers at hotels.

He told The Telegraph: "I’m not interested in getting involved in the debate of ‘are these people sincere, are they just doing it to get leave to remain?’ and that sort of thing."

"Neither I nor Carelinks represent asylum seekers at tribunals, nor have I ever attended any such tribunals... I simply baptise anyone who wishes to be baptised", adding the asylum seeker baptisms were “only a tiny number” of those he and the charity performed.

Carelinks invites those who are baptised to express understanding of a "Bible Basics" and repent for their sins.

A spokesman for Carelinks told The Telegraph: "Carelinks takes no part in the process of helping any individual to claim asylum.

"Applications for asylum are a private matter between the claimant and the state, and it is up to the claimant to show to the tribunal that their conversion to Christianity is genuine."

A Home Office spokesman told GB News: "The UK has a proud history of welcoming those who are genuinely fleeing religious persecution. Religious conversions do not guarantee refugee status. All asylum applications are carefully considered on their individual merits."

The role played by religion in determining asylum claims was brought under the spotlight after the case of Clapham chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi.

The sex offender was eventually granted asylum by a judge who accepted he was a Christian convert and that he would be in danger because of his faith if he returned to his home country of Afghanistan.

The 35-year-old killed himself within hours after dousing his ex-girlfriend with alkali when he attacked her and her children in south London in January last year.

The Government announced plans earlier this year to ban migrants convicted of sexual offences from claiming asylum in the UK.

Other cases have brought into question the legitimacy of the Christian conversion.

One migrant admitted that he mistakenly attended a synagogue for more than a month, believing it to be a church.

Another tribunal judge doubted that a claimant was "attracted to Christianity because it fulfilled a deep spiritual need", as they had said that "being a Christian is freedom and you can drink alcohol and be with girls."

The Church of England has denied claims that it is operating a "conveyor belt" of baptisms but its current guidance to clergy admits that some migrants believe "converting to Christianity will help their asylum claim."

Pressed over the number of asylum claims being made based on religious conversion, Lord Hanson said: "The Government do not publish statistics on asylum claims based on religious conversion.

"All claims, including those based on religious conversion, are carefully assessed individually in accordance with our international obligations and in line with our published guidance. Claims based on religious conversion do not guarantee a grant of refugee status."

But Tory former Home Office minister Baroness Maclean of Redditch said many members would be surprised that such statistics were not published.

She added: "Given the salience of asylum claims and the number of illegal migrants coming to our shores, it would very much help the community and the country if we could see the number of conversions, for Christianity and any other religion, that are grounds for someone being granted asylum. Will the minister please look again at his department and publish that data for us to scrutinise?"

Lord Hanson said: “We do not keep statistics on individual religious conversion aspects. We take that into account and will make a judgment on the case before the examiner in each individual case.”