{"id":9836,"date":"2024-02-14T20:42:32","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T15:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/14\/muslims-are-falsely-claiming-conversion-to-christianity-to-gain-asylum-in-u-k-judges-fear\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T20:42:32","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T15:12:32","slug":"muslims-are-falsely-claiming-conversion-to-christianity-to-gain-asylum-in-u-k-judges-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cccfornews.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/14\/muslims-are-falsely-claiming-conversion-to-christianity-to-gain-asylum-in-u-k-judges-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"Muslims Are Falsely Claiming Conversion to Christianity to Gain Asylum in U.K., Judges Fear"},"content":{"rendered":"


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A pair of judges in the United Kingdom allege Muslim individuals have faked a conversion to Christianity and have duped Church of England clergy in order to claim asylum and remain in the country. <\/p>\n

The allegations have led to a debate within the government, the media and the church itself over whether clergy should do more to probe individuals when they claim they have converted from one religion to another. In the U.K., a person who converts from Islam to Christian can file for asylum if they would face persecution in their home country due to their new faith.<\/p>\n

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The controversy has sparked concern from Christian leaders that it could harm the asylum claims of individuals whose conversion is legitimate.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristian converts in some countries are among the most persecuted minorities in the world,\u201d former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey wrote in a column for The Telegraph<\/a>. \u201cGenuine converts in countries where a considerable risk is taken by \u2018apostasising\u2019 find themselves undermined by a handful of false cases where people are gaming the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Justin Welby, the current archbishop of Canterbury, said the church has done nothing wrong.<\/p>\n

The judges allege clergy have accepted the asylum claims too easily. In one case, a judge found that a \u201cchurch leader had been tricked by an Iranian migrant who was unable to even name the church,\u201d Premier Christian News<\/a> reported. The migrant said communication was limited to \u201cgreetings and asking how we are… [with] broken English and hand signals.\u201d<\/p>\n

In another case, a judge said a \u201cvicar had taken an asylum seeker \u2018uncritically at face value\u2019 and had not considered alternative motivations for joining the church,\u201d Premier Christian News<\/a> said.<\/p>\n

Suella Braverman, a former member of Parliament and a former Home Secretary in the government, alleged in a column for The Telegraph<\/a> that some individuals in migrant communities are \u201cgaming the system.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUpon arrival in the UK, migrants are directed to these churches as a one-stop shop to bolster their asylum case,\u201d Braverman wrote. \u201cAttend Mass once a week for a few months, befriend the vicar, get your baptism date in the diary and, bingo, you\u2019ll be signed off by a member of the clergy that you\u2019re now a God-fearing Christian who will face certain persecution if removed to your Islamic country of origin. It has to stop. We must get wise to the problem. It is no wonder that the former dean of Liverpool Cathedral noted that he converted about 200 asylum seekers to Christianity over a four-year period — but he doesn\u2019t recall baptizing any Muslim who was already a British citizen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welby, in a Feb. 7 statement, said the role of clergy has been mischaracterized.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cChurches up and down the country are involved in caring for vulnerable people from all backgrounds,\u201d Welby said<\/a>. \u201cFor refugees and those seeking asylum, we simply follow the teaching of the Bible which is to care for the stranger. It is the job of the Government to protect our borders and of the courts to judge asylum cases. The Church is called to love mercy and do justice. I encourage everyone to avoid irresponsible and inaccurate comments — and let us not forget that at the heart of this conversation are vulnerable people whose lives are precious in the sight of God.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Carey, the former archbishop of Canterbury, both defended and criticized the church. He said it is the \u201cHome Office and the judiciary\u2019s job to apply the asylum rules — not the Church.\u201d Then again, he noted, the Church of England\u2019s guidance \u201cgives information to clergy on how to \u2018mount a personal campaign\u2019 if an application is refused.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does not give much advice on how to discern whether these conversions are authentic, long-standing and life-changing,\u201d Carey wrote. \u201cWhile it is true that most clergy are experienced enough to deal with these sorts of pastoral situations, the Church should do more to insist that baptism preparation is rigorous.\u201d<\/p>\n

The United Kingdom, Carey asserted, must get control of its broken immigration system. The U.K. population, he said, is growing at such a rapid pace that the poor are suffering.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy concern and attention is\u2026 for those affected by a severe lack of housing and services, a situation which is reaching breaking point in poorer areas,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThe elites are well-protected, but Britain\u2019s poorest have a different experience. An experiment in mass immigration has been foisted upon them without their consent, changing their lives and their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Image credit: \u00a9Getty Images\/Patricia Hamilton<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press,\u00a0<\/em>Christianity Today<\/em>, <\/em>The Christian Po<\/em>st, <\/em>the\u00a0<\/em>Leaf-Chronicle<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>the Toronto Star<\/em> and\u00a0<\/em>the Knoxville News-Sentinel<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n