Why Ukrainian refugees are welcome in Yorkshire and why Boris Johnson must think again – Reverend Leslie Newton

Putin raises nuclear stakes over Ukraine war as Yorkshire unites to condemn conflict and demand harder sanctons against Russia

Representing all six major faith groups in the UK, we have come together to express our shared horror at the potential repercussions of the Bill and call for urgent changes to be made, even at this late stage.

Ukraine: World must act now or risk paying an even higher price for Putin’s wars – Tom Tugendhat

Over recent years, we have all witnessed the horrifying plight of men, women and children, struggling to reach a place of safety.

Most of us can only begin to imagine how frightening, heart-breaking and exhausting it must be to get to a point where survival depends on abandoning home.

Then to embark on a risky, costly journey with the only hope that somewhere there will be a welcome and sanctuary.

It’s crucial for us to remember that this is all about how we care for people who are just like us: each one someone’s child, many of them parents.

Men, women and children who fundamentally want exactly the same things we do – a safe place to live, sleep, work and belong.

And through no fault of their own, those basic needs have been snatched away, and they are forced to search for safety.

Tragically, so long as there is conflict and injustice in the world, there will 
be such desperate people needing sanctuary from war, persecution and suffering.

The terrible atrocities now unfolding in Ukraine are a sharp reminder of the importance and urgency of this challenge.

That’s why I’ve signed the letter to the Prime Minister.

Our concern is that the Bill will fundamentally damage the values 
that bind us together: human dignity 
and life.

So, I’m joining the call for the Government to abandon its plans to criminalise and restrict the rights of all refugees who arrive to the UK outside of pre-arranged schemes.

Men, women and children sometimes simply have no option but to travel via dangerous and irregular routes – boats and lorries may be the only route to refuge open to them.

I’m also asking that the Government urgently addresses the need for safe routes to be established.

These routes would help people seeking sanctuary reach the UK, and would thereby fundamentally support the Government’s own aims.

Here in Yorkshire, I am so moved 
and impressed by those of different faiths who are working closely 
together to support refugees from Syria, and more recently Afghanistan to rebuild their lives, safe and welcomed by our communities.

We have a record of welcome and hospitality to be proud of in Yorkshire.

Sheffield was the first City of Sanctuary in 2007, and this movement has grown both here and across the country.

There are many inspiring local 
projects making all the difference in the world.

A great example is the Open Doors project at Princes Avenue Methodist Church in Hull, which week in, week out, offers practical support and advice to help refugees settle and contribute fully to our society.

So, I am urging the Prime Minister to match this heart-warming and genuine compassion and to revise this Bill so that our doors are open to men, women and children who so desperately need our sanctuary.

Let’s make sure that we can demonstrate to our world, especially in these dark days, that our spirit of compassion and welcome is well and truly alive.

The full text of the letter can be found HERE.

The Reverend Leslie M Newton is Chair of the Yorkshire North and East Methodist District.

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