British bishop calls for compassion for asylum seekers

August 05, 2015

As increasing numbers of African and Asian refugees seek to enter the tunnel from Calais, France, to Great Britain, the English bishop responsible for migrants has called for compassion.

“We must respond to the situation in Calais by recognizing the desperation of those seeking asylum, and by helping to put in place (especially in France) more efficient procedures to assess fairly and rapidly those seeking asylum,” wrote Bishop Patrick Lynch. “We should work with France to improve security measures, and we should assist navies (such as those of Italy, Greece, Spain and Malta) with rescue missions for the thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean.”

He added:

Causes of this mass migration are complex – armed conflict, civil war, the rise of ISIL, failure of some states to function adequately, social deprivation and poverty. All these factors deepen desperation. Churches and faith communities in some of these countries are uniquely placed to offer care to those fleeing conflict, but also to help people, especially the vulnerable, to see through the human traffickers’ false promises.

 

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Further information:

• Bishop Patrick Lynch on a response to the Calais situation (Catholic Church in England and Wales)
• Calais crisis hardens tone of Britain's immigration, EU debate (Reuters)
• France Deploys Riot Police To Bolster Calais Security (AP)