Archbishop of Canterbury: Rwanda bill damages the UK’s reputation

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – The Archbishop of Canterbury has harshly criticised the Rwanda bill.

He accused the government of outsourcing the country’s “legal and moral responsibilities”.

The bill would allow some asylum seekers to be sent to Rwanda, deemed a safe country, to deter people from coming to England across the channel in small boats.

Justin Welby told the Lords that the bill was damaging to the UK’s reputation, to national unity and to asylum seekers who are in need of protection.

He said God commands people to care for the alien and stranger and this bill “obscures the truth” that all people, asylum seekers included, are of great value.

“We can, as a nation, do better than this bill”, he said.

However, he did not vote against, as the bill still has to go through the Lords for amendment, but he may yet seek to block it.

The bill was voted through to the next stage by 206 votes to 84.