Draft Letter to Members of the House of Lords linked to the Church

<<Senders details>>

December, 2021

Dear <<Insert Name>>,

I am writing to you at this time of year to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas after what has been a challenging year for us all. 

Christmas is often a time of year when we remember those we have lost and pray for those less fortunate than ourselves.  This year I will be remembering those lost to Covid and those who have lost their lives in the English Channel.  I will be praying for those seeking refuge and those who face poverty as the cost of living rises.  I will also be praying for you and those who are in government to be granted wisdom as you make difficult choices.

I would ask that in the New Year, when you are invited to vote on the Nationality and Borders Bill, that you reflect on what Jesus, himself a refugee, might have done.  I would ask that you consider the impact this will have on each individual affected by the provisions of this Bill. 

This Bill seeks to criminalise some of the most vulnerable people – those who have no choice but to enter the UK illegally to be able to request sanctuary.  I am minded to think of what Jesus instructed his followers to do if they were to be asked to help (Matthew 5:42).

This Bill seeks to strip those who have done wrong of British Citizenship, even when this would make them Stateless, a provision condemned by the UN Refugee Agency as it breaches international law.  The Bible is clear on the perils of being without a State as it chronicles the story of Israel.

We know that were the Bill to become law more children would be detained in secure facilities awaiting processing, more people would be denied asylum, more people would be deported away from families and communities, and more people would be made Stateless.   We would also likely see an increase in those whose mental health suffers because of the torturous process of going through the asylum application.  As a Christian I believe that the Church should oppose all of these wrongs and I would ask that you vote against the Bill when it comes before the House.

I wish you and your family God’s blessings for 2022 and I will continue to keep you in my prayers.

Yours sincerely,

<<Insert name>>