Forty refugees on the Bibby Stockholm have reportedly started attending local churches, fearing that converting to Christianity would be a new “loophole” to stay in the country.
The faithful of PortlandDorset – where the barge is moored – says a number of migrants are converting to Christianity through British courses such as Christian Alpha, while others have converted in their home countries.
An estimated one in seven of the 300 migrants currently housed on the boat attend churches under the supervision of religious leaders.
It comes as Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi was able to gain asylum in the UK after claiming he had converted to Christianity, despite being convicted of a sexual offense three years ago.
Abdul Ezedi (pictured) was able to gain asylum in the UK after claiming to have converted to Christianity, despite being convicted of a sex offense three years previously.
The barge Bibby Stockholm (pictured) which is moored in Portland, Dorset
The Church of England has since been criticized for allegedly “facilitating false asylum claims on an industrial scale”, with former home ministers. Suella Braverman and lady Priti Patel accusing Church leaders of “political activism.”
But the Church of England said it was not currently aware of any links with its churches. A spokesperson for the Church also added that it is “the role of Home Officeand not the Church, to examine asylum seekers and judge the merits of their individual cases.”
The current Minister of the Interior, James cleverlyis expected to receive a first report on Monday detailing all the facts of the case.
It will examine the need to change laws to better consider conversion applications, and consider whether to allow the automatic deportation of convicted foreign criminals such as Ezedi.
It is estimated that one in seven of the 300 migrants currently housed on the lighter are believed to attend churches under the supervision of religious leaders.
A CCTV image released by the Metropolitan Police of Clapham alkaline attack suspect Abdul Ezedi at King’s Cross tube station
Church elder David Rees told the BBC that a number of migrants were becoming Christians through British courses such as Christian Alpha, while others converted in their home country. origin.
“Local religious leaders have visited the barge and are working with the council and barge management to take care of these guys,” he said.
Ezedi is a former Afghan asylum seeker who is believed to have arrived in the UK from Afghanistan on a truck in 2016.
He was granted asylum after getting a priest’s assurance that he had converted to Christianity after leaving Islam, despite having been convicted of two sexual assault offenses three years earlier.
The Interior Ministry had already twice refused the 35-year-old man’s request for residence.
The Met Police have released further footage of the Clapham chemical attack, with Abdul Ezedi walking injured through King’s Cross station following Wednesday’s events.
Forensic police on scene on Wednesday evening near Clapham following the attack
The Church’s support for Ezedi’s conversion was reportedly key to persuading an immigration court judge to support his third asylum appeal, with a priest ensuring he was “fully committed” to the Christian faith.
Former minister Tim Loughton expressed concern that Christian conversion had become a scam, saying there were cases where asylum seekers were even tattooed with crucifixes to bolster their claims.
“We need to put in place a much more rigorous vetting process for those who claim to have converted and to determine why it would be unsafe to send them back to their country of origin,” he told the Telegraph .
Mr Rees, for his part, said he was convinced that the 40 migrants from Bibby Stockholm were truly converting to Christianity.
“Obviously we have to make sure that they believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and that they repent of their sins and also want to start a new life in the Church,” he said. he declares.
“So those are the kinds of questions we ask them, and they have to give a public testimony, at their baptism, what they did in their native language, and it was translated into English.
“There were no qualms about the content of this testimony, which was clear and conclusive about their faith in Jesus Christ.”
The Home Office said social workers are trained to grant protection only to those who truly need it, assessing claims “in-depth” and not taking the testimony of priests as “determinative”.
Ezedi, from the Newcastle area, is accused of carrying out a “targeted” attack on a 31-year-old mother and her two daughters on Wednesday evening in Clapham.
The woman, believed to be known to Ezedi, was attacked with a corrosive alkaline substance and remains “very unwell” and sedated in hospital, with her injuries considered “life-changing”.
The injuries suffered by his daughters, aged three and eight, “are not likely to change their lives”.
Ezedi – who is described as having “very significant injuries to the right side of his face” – was last seen at King’s Cross tube station on Wednesday evening, where he boarded a line train Victoria southbound.
“Significant and significant evidence” was discovered during searches at two addresses in east London and three in Newcastle, police said.
They include empty containers bearing corrosive warnings found at an address in Newcastle, which are shown in new footage released by detectives.
Forensic tests to determine whether the containers contained the substance used in the attack are underway.
The Metropolitan Police said they had received “dozens of calls” regarding the manhunt, including possible sightings of Ezedi.
