Nigel Farage blasts Church of England as document lays bare plan to help migrants appeal asylum verdicts
WATCH: Bob Seely accuses the Church of England of being 'complicit in the abuse of the asylum system'
The Church of England has been criticised by Nigel Farage after a new document laid bare the church's role in supporting refugees apply for asylum in the UK.
The policy document, entitled, 'Supporting Asylum Seekers – Guidance for Church of England Clergy', gave guidance to local church leaders on how to mount campaigns in order to appeal asylum claims.
There is mounting concern over the role of the church in the asylum process after it was revealed that Abdul Shokoor Ezedi, the suspected Clapham chemical attacker, was granted asylum after he converted to the religion, despite having previous convictions of two sex offences.
Meanwhile, as many as 40 asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge are said to be converting to Christianity, sparking fears that migrants are claiming to have changed their religion in order to be granted asylum.
The Church of England has been criticised by Nigel Farage after a new document laid bare the church's role in supporting refugees apply for asylum in the UK
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The Church of England policy document criticised the "political narrative about British identity, rights and values", as well as what it dubs the "anti-immigration rhetoric".
It said this "rhetoric" was "particularly evident in the run-up to the EU referendum” .
Farage tore into the Church of England for its policy document, saying they should "reflect on their name and purpose".
He told the Express: "The left-wing Archbishop is bad enough, but these revelations show a stunning naivety. The document seems to suggest that British identity, rights and values are a bad thing. They are exactly what the church should be endorsing."
Meanwhile, Tory MP Bob Seely accused the church of being "complicit in the abuse of the asylum system".complicit in the abuse of the asylum system".
He told GB News: “We are hearing so often stories of the courts are rigging the asylum system in the interest, very often, of the criminals.
“It’s dire and we are trying to get a grip on it but it’s becoming this multi-headed monster.
“We’ve seen the bishops kicking off in the House of Lords, we’ve seen the way that so-called expert witnesses are saying that sex offender criminals in this country can’t go back to Somalia because the Somalians may not like it."
Of the 300 migrants on the Bibby Stockholm barge, nearly one in seven are attending churches under supervision from local faith leaders, a church elder told the BBC.
A Government source said: “There are clearly general questions about whether it is really possible to credibly substantiate the validity of a religious conversion, particularly where that opinion might be a main defence and carry very important implications.”
On his second attempt to seek asylum in the UK, Ezedi claimed that he had converted to Christianity - which would put his life at risk if he returned home to Afghanistan.
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As many as 40 asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge are said to be converting to Christianity
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At his third appeal, a priest vouched for his conversion claiming he was "wholly committed" to his new faith.
David Rees, a church elder and education consultant, told the BBC that 40 asylum seekers on the Dorset barge had converted to Christianity, or were in the process of doing so.
He said: "Local faith leaders have visited the barge and work with the council and the barge management in looking after these guys."
Rees said that many of the migrants had either converted in their home countries or on Christian courses in the UK, such as Alpha.