Welcome Churches’ Press Release following the tragic event in Clapham

Welcome Churches’ Press Release following the tragic event on Wednesday 31st January in Clapham, where a mother and her two daughters were attacked by a man from Afghanistan, who has sought asylum in the UK and converted to Christianity. 

With the rest of society, we are horrified at the event in Clapham last week, where a mother and her two daughters were attacked so brutally. Very little is known about the specifics of the event and the perpetrator himself, who is understood to be from Afghanistan and claimed asylum in the UK after converting to Christianity. Whilst we are not able to comment further on this event, we understand that questions are being raised about the nature of asylum claims in the UK that are based on Christian conversion and the role that local churches play within this.

The message of Christianity is that Jesus gives us hope, even in the most difficult of times, and that hope is available to all who want it. The Christian faith instructs Christians to welcome everyone, especially strangers and those who are in need. Seeking asylum in the UK is an incredibly difficult, stressful process. People are left in limbo often for years, waiting to hear a decision on their asylum claim from the Home Office. During this time people often live in substandard housing, isolated, not able to work and facing a lot of fear and uncertainty for their futures. With few support options available, churches are often one amongst a number of incredible local community organisations that are doing their best to support people seeking asylum.

We believe it is a huge privilege for local churches to welcome people seeking refuge and asylum in the UK. We get to meet incredible people from across the world, with very different perspectives to our own on all sorts of issues. Our lives are richer by knowing people who have had different experiences to ourselves. The majority of people who churches meet are lovely, amazing people, many of whom have gone through a great deal of stress and trauma - both before and after arriving in the UK. We are grateful that stories such as the tragic event in Clapham recently are so unusual and exceptional, which are definitely not the norm for the majority of people seeking asylum here.

Some people are coming to the UK to seek asylum because they have decided to convert to a different faith, including Christianity. Others have come because they started to enquire about the Christian faith, which is considered a crime in some countries. The religious freedom we have in the UK to choose the faith we want to have is something we all value highly. We know that the UK government also shares this value, through the work they have done in recent years on the Freedom of Religion and Belief. The majority of churches take baptism of people seeking asylum very seriously, as they know that they may be questioned about it by the Home Office, or in court. We encourage churches to establish clear policies and procedures for baptism, so that they can evidence the process they have gone through, should they be asked.

Churches do not only serve people seeking asylum, but their local communities as well. We have supported many churches in our Welcome Network who have served as bridges between local communities who have had concerns about people seeking asylum in their community (especially when being accommodated in local hotels) and those who have been placed in the local community too. Churches have been places of reconciliation and peace that encourage community cohesion and integration, in a time where there can be a lot of fear. 

It is widely acknowledged that the UK asylum system is broken and needs fixing. We, and many churches across the UK, are keen to help bring fair, workable solutions to this system with government and civic society by working together in the future.

Contact:

Mina Ko
Communications Manager
info@welcomechurches.org

About Welcome Churches:

Welcome Churches is a Christian charity committed to supporting refugees and asylum seekers through a network of welcoming churches across the UK. Welcome Churches is equipping local churches to continue to welcome everyone seeking refuge in our communities, which is needed now more than ever.

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