The new Archbishop of Canterbury says that churches should not feel anxious about baptising asylum seekers in the face of concerns about fake conversions.
Dame Sarah Mullally, who will move into Lambeth Palace next year, claimed that due to the persecution faced by millions of Christians around the world, people may wait until they are in the UK to publicly declare their faith.
The Archbishop of Canterbury-designate made her comments as she raised her concern over a call in Parliament for the rejection of refugee claims on grounds of religious persecution, where the person converted after arriving in the UK.
Dame Sarah’s intervention followed unease at Westminster that the Christian faith is being abused by asylum seekers who are only going through the process to try and gain asylum in the UK.
However, Dame Sarah, who is the Bishop of London and former chief nursing officer for England, said clergy are ‘not naive’ and are ‘trained to discern who is ready for a public confession of faith through baptism’.
She said: ‘It is not the job of the clergy to assess asylum claims. The Home Office has stated that evidence from clergy or church members in an asylum case does not determine the outcome of the claim.
‘I have to say that I am proud that the church into which I am called to serve welcomes, indeed embraces any and all who express a genuine, considered and informed decision to follow Jesus Christ.
‘Churches ought not to feel anxious about supporting and baptising asylum seekers if, to their best knowledge, the clergy are confident that there is a sincere desire for conversion, a commitment to Jesus Christ and to discipleship.’
Dame Sarah Mullally argued that due to the persecution faced by millions of Christians around the world, people may wait until they are in the UK to publicly declare their faith
An image in a now-deleted social media post appears to show a female asylum seeker being converted to Christianity in a bath
Currently Bishop of London and former chief nursing officer for England, Dame Sarah will legally become the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral in January, followed by a formal enthronement service at a later date.
The archbishop-designate was responding to concerns expressed by Tory former Home Office minister Baroness Maclean of Redditch, who referred to reports of ‘bathtub conversions’ in asylum hotels.
Tory peer, Ms Maclean said: ‘When I see our Christian faith being used as a fast track for subverting our British open-heartedness and tolerance, I feel it is simply wrong, and I know this view is shared by the general public.
‘I am afraid I can find no evidence of anyone converting to Islam in order to avoid deportation or to lodge an asylum claim. It seems to me it’s always Christianity that is used in this way.
‘While as Christians, we are called to follow the teachings of Jesus, as policymakers, we must be pragmatic and work with our knowledge of human nature, which is not perfect. There is evil in people’s hearts.’
It comes after a number of asylum seekers who have become Christadelphians in recent years have argued they should be able to stay in the UK as they would face religious persecution if they returned home.
Christadelphians are a minority sect within Christianity that rejects some of the religion’s core beliefs, such as the Holy Trinity.
Since 2019, at least six migrants have tried to claim asylum in the UK after converting to the doctrine.
While four of the six claims were dismissed by immigration judges, one succeeded in 2019 after it was ruled that an Iranian man had ‘a well-founded fear of persecution on return to Iran on grounds of his religion’.
Meanwhile, last year, Abdul Ezedi, who was granted asylum after being baptised, became the subject of a nationwide manhunt after he attacked a woman with a chemical substance in Clapham, south London.
The 35-year-old Afghan national’s body was later found in the River Thames, and he was given a Muslim burial.
He had twice been refused asylum by the Home Office, and was considered so dangerous by the Baptist Church that it drew up a ‘safeguarding contract’ for the safety of parishioners over his sex assault and exposure convictions.
Clapham chemical attacker Abdul Ezedi was given a Muslim funeral and burial, despite claiming to have converted to Christianity when he was granted asylum
Tory frontbencher Lord Cameron of Lochiel said: ‘It is no secret that concerns have been raised about individuals who, having exhausted other immigration routes, subsequently claim asylum on the basis of a newly professed faith.
‘We cannot and should not allow the generosity of the asylum system to be manipulated.’
Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint said: ‘In cases of religious conversion, conversion alone does not guarantee refugee status.’
Speaking at the report stage of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill in the House of Lords, Dame Sarah highlighted the persecution and discrimination faced by more than 380 million Christians worldwide and the thousands killed for their faith.
She said: ‘We live in a world in which people regularly die for their Christian faith, and when many hide their Christian faith for fear of persecution.
‘Thus, it remains just as important now as it ever has been to offer protection, sanctuary and peace to all those who exercise their right to freedom of belief on our shores.’
She added: ‘We should tread extremely carefully when legislating on such profound matters.’
Conversion for most was ‘not like clicking a switch’, the bishop told peers.
She added: ‘A public declaration of faith is an important moment in that process.
‘But if that declaration may cost you your life or the lives of those that you love, then a person may think very carefully about when and where they make it.
‘What better evidence, in many ways, of fear of religious persecution in a country of origin than that a person might wait until they were in the UK to publicly declare their faith.’
She went on: ‘I imagine that there are some asylum seekers who might well believe that converting to Christianity will help their asylum claim.
‘One can hardly be surprised about that when some politicians keep implying that that is the case.’