The Government’s plans to send migrants to Rwanda cannot stand up to the judgment of God, the head of the Church of England has said. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is set to make a stark intervention on the plans in his Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral today (April 17).
He is expected to say measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel this week "cannot carry the weight of our national responsibility as a country formed by Christian values". He will say this is "because sub-contracting out our responsibilities, even to a country that seeks to do well, like Rwanda, is the opposite of the nature of God who himself took responsibility for our failures".
Earlier this week the Government announced plans to curb migrant crossings of the English Channel in small boats, and people who are deemed to have entered Britain by unlawful means since January 1 may be sent to Rwanda where they will be permitted to apply for asylum in the African nation.
