|PIC1|The Government has come under pressure from nineteen Anglican bishops, including the Archbishop of York, to change its policies which “victimise” asylum seekers, reports The Church of England Newspaper.

Just one week after his enthronement, Dr John Sentamu led the bishops and other religious leaders across the UK in the condemnation against the Government policies, which they described as “inhuman” for leaving asylum seekers homeless and without financial support.

The criticism was voiced in an open letter to The Times, with a total of 36 signatories, including the Bishops of Worcester, Chester, Sheffield and Ripon and Leeds, as well as leaders from the Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Scottish Episcopal and United Reformed Churches.

In the letter the leaders claimed that the threat of destitution was being used by the Government as a way of pressuring refused asylum seekers to leave the country, adding that “refused” asylum seekers were often rejected because of legal incompetence, and might not be able to be returned safely.

|TOP|The letter read: “As a society we have international moral and legal responsibilities to welcome those fleeing adversity from other parts of the world and provide social security.”

The leaders continued: “All those within our borders – including asylum seekers – should have the opportunity to help themselves and society through paid employment.

“Where this is not possible, people seeking asylum, whatever their status, should be given the necessary rights to ‘food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services’ (UN Declaration of Human Rights).”

The religious leaders also urged that asylum seekers in the UK should be treated “as we would expect if we had to flee to another country” and that “we should offer the respect to our neighbours that we expect ourselves.

|AD|“This is at the heart of the Christian faith, and of many other religions,” the leaders added.

A Home Office spokesman issued a response to the open letter in which he commented that there was support available for failed asylum seekers who had been left destitute.

The letter follows the flurry of campaigning organised by Church Action Poverty for World Migration Day last week, with many supporters taking up the challenge to live as an asylum seeker on a basic food parcel and just £5 per week.

Tens of thousands of Action Cards are also being addressed to Home Secretary Charles Clarke to highlight the plight of asylum seekers, with a delegation of church leaders due to present all the campaign cards at a meeting with the Home Office next spring.