Lynch says immigration bill endangers refugees

Victims of trafficking and domestic violence could be denied vital health care if the Government’s Immigration Bill becomes law, the bishop responsible for migration policy has warned.

The bill, which was due to be debated in the House of Commons on Thursday, proposes to restrict migrants’ access to free NHS services and would require landlords to conduct checks on tenants’ immigration status.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Bishop Patrick Lynch, an auxiliary in Southwark, said he feared that the bill might deter vulnerable people from seeking help.

“It is vital that victims of human trafficking, female genital mutilation and domestic abuse are not denied medical treatment as a result of misidentification, delays in identification or because they feel discouraged to seek assistance,” he said.

“Victims of these horrific abuses are often reluctant to seek help in the first place and it is therefore essential that robust safeguards are in place.” Bishop Lynch said that he was  concerned that charging for NHS services could mean that pregnant women would try to cope with their pregnancies alone, and called for children of migrants to be exempt from the legislation.

His concerns were echoed by the Caritas Social Action Network, the social-action arm of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

The chief executive, Helen O’Brien, said the bill must include protections for children and abuse victims and that the tenancy proposals could discourage landlords from renting to migrants and increase homelessness.