Jeremy Corbyn has called for Britain to relax immigration controls, with the claim that Christian teachings demand nations roll out the red carpet for unlimited numbers of ‘refugees’.
The Labour leader used his Easter message to declare that the UK faces “a great moral test” as the number of people “forced to flee persecution, war and abject poverty” soars across the globe.
“Easter is a time when millions of Christians across the world gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus — A refugee whose parents were forced to flee their home,” he said, proclaiming that the Son of God “taught us to respect refugees”.
“He himself said ‘welcome the stranger’. And the Bible says ‘the foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born’.”
“Jesus went on to know what it was to be ostracised, rejected and tortured. A family forced to flee their homeland for fear of persecution … Sadly, this is still so familiar to us today,” Corbyn said, before apparently linking the Holy Family’s situation to immigrants from the third world seeking to break into Britain illegally.
Stating Britain has a “proud history of providing a safe rescue to those in need”, he blasted the government for refusing to import enough so-called ‘unaccompanied minors’, who reached Europe illegally and are seeking to come to Britain, to fully meet the requirements of the Dubs Amendment — a policy which the government says would further incentivise families in the world’s poorest countries to send children on dangerous journeys to reach European soil.
The veteran Labour figure also lashed out at authorities’ attempts to stem the flow of illegal migrant boats travelling across the English Channel, and praised the Church of England’s response to surging arrival numbers, when the Bishop of Dover asserted that “every person is precious”.
He said: “Churches across the country support refugees, including through community sponsorship programmes. And who are campaigning to allow asylum seekers to work sooner.
“This is true leadership, drawing on Jesus’ teachings to show us how we should approach this great moral test,” added Corbyn, urging the country to “learn from Christian values and offer the hand of friendship to welcome those in need”.
The Islington North MP’s call came just weeks after Cardinal Robert Sarah criticised the use of the Bible to justify or encourage mass, third world migration, noting that immigrants to the bloc are usually “penniless, without work [and] without dignity”.
“This is what the Church wants? The Church cannot cooperate with this new form of slavery that has become mass migration,” the African Cardinal told French media, adding that: “God never wanted these heartbreaks”.