Andy Drozdziak
The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle has denied being involved in supporting chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi amid claims that churches are enabling ‘bogus’ asylum claims.
A 31-year-old woman may lose the sight in her right eye after she was attacked in London last week with a corrosive alkaline substance attack. Her daughters, aged eight and three, were also hurt but have since been discharged from hospital. Met officers have been searching for chief suspect Ezedi since last Wednesday.
Politicians Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick have expressed concerns following the attacks that churches are facilitating ‘industrial-scale bogus asylum claims’ and criticised vicars and priests as ‘naïve’ for supporting such claims, leading to a backlash from church leaders.
Ezedi, who is believed to be from Afghanistan and based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, is said to have successfully challenged a Home Office decision to refuse him asylum in 2020 and was permitted to stay in the UK after a Christian leader confirmed he had converted to Christianity and was reportedly “wholly committed” to his new religion.
A spokesman for The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle confirmed that Ezedi “visited our diocesan Justice and Peace Refugee Project, a charitable venture which assists a wide range of people who come to us in need”. However, the Diocese denied any involvement in Ezedi’s faith journey.
“After checking local parish records and central records and after consulting with clergy we have no indication that Abdul Ezedi was received into the Catholic faith in this diocese, or that a Catholic priest of this diocese gave him a reference,” the spokesman said.
“We do not know which Christian church received him nor which Christian minister gave him a reference. We keep the victims in our prayers and hope that justice is done soon.”
There are fears, however, that some of those converting do have questionable intentions. The Daily Mail reported that it was, in fact, a Baptist Church from the North East who provided Ezedi with a key reference which convinced an immigration tribunal that he was a ‘genuine convert’ to Christianity.
Moreover, The Daily Telegraph has reported that around 40 of the asylum seekers who are living on the controversial Bibby Stockholm barge are attending local churches, confirmed by Dave Rees, an elder at Weymouth Baptist Church.
Former home secretary Suella Braverman, writing in the Sunday Telegraph, said during her time in office that she “became aware of churches around the country facilitating industrial-scale bogus asylum claims”. Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick also referred to “spurious” claims by people in the asylum system that they have converted to Christianity “aided and abetted by often well-meaning but naive vicars and priests”.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Home Affairs Committee Tim Loughton said: “We have got to have a much more rigorous scrutiny process for those claiming to have converted and the basis on which it would be dangerous to return them to their home countries.”
However, Dave Rees said he was “confident” in the measures and scrutiny in place, adding: “There’s no reason we would doubt these asylum seekers from their profession of faith.”
Some people were Christians in their own country and others had taken part in Alpha courses in the UK, Mr Rees said.
Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford Guli Francis-Dehqani said she makes no apology for the involvement of religious leaders in “supporting people who are often deeply vulnerable and traumatised”.
She said religious ministers from all denominations occasionally provide statements of support to asylum seekers, “but it is wrong to think of this as some sort of magic ticket”.