In March, Prayer Alert intercessors prayed for an overhaul of the ethos of the Home Office, after Iranian Christian converts’ asylum applications had been unfairly rejected. Clergy have now been drafted in to teach religious literacy to hundreds of Home Office case workers tasked with deciding on asylum claims that involve religious conversion and persecution. The new training was developed with the support of Church House, Westminster, and other faith groups. Rev’d Mark Miller, vicar of Stockton, advised the Home Office on the training, and attended the first case workers’ meeting. He said, 'In the session, I asked staff what they thought was basic knowledge. Most of what they suggested wasn’t basic knowledge, it was “name the Ten Commandments”, rather than the significance of a faith in Jesus.’
Answered prayer: clergy help Home Office
Written by David Fletcher 23 May 2019Additional Info
- Praise: God for training focused on empathetic listening and informed decision-making. (Psalm 146:9)
- More: www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2019/17-may/news/uk/home-office-asks-clergy-for-asylum-help