Law and religion roundup – 10th December

And in the week that saw Robert Jenrick’s resignation as Minister for Immigration…

…on the grounds that the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill did not provide “the stronger protections required” – a Bill that commences with the following statement from the Home Secretary:

“I am unable to make a statement that, in my view, the provisions of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill are compatible with the Convention rights, but the Government nevertheless wishes the House to proceed with the Bill”,

In his letter to The Times, Professor Mark Hill KC said “[w]hether Rwanda is a safe country is a question of fact not of law. No amount of legislation can change that“. The cost of the Government’s scheme to send illegal migrants to Rwanda has more than doubled and now amounts to £290M.

Legal migration

On Monday, the Home Secretary announced considerable new financial restrictions on immigration. When the statement was read out in the Lords on the following day, the Bishop of Norwich observed that

“many faith communities greatly benefit from the presence of religious workers from overseas. The Church of England benefits from the ministry of clergy from all around the Anglican Communion, enriching our communities and resourcing individuals’ ministry for life, often equipping them for when they return to their country of origin to minister in places of conflict and abject poverty. Many UK clergy, me included, have benefited from overseas experiences. Will the Minister consult faith communities about exemptions for religious workers, many of whom earn below the published threshold?”

Continue reading