Supporters of Asia Bibi say that the UK is not one of the governments offering asylum to the Pakistani Catholic woman, who was freed last week after eight years on death row for blasphemy, although it has been described as “being helpful”.
Wilson Chowdhry of the British Pakistani Christian Association told The Tablet on Monday: “I have been led to believe this is due to fear of civil unrest and attacks on embassies”. He reported that: “the Netherlands openly declared support for asylum of Asia Bibi, and today their embassy in Pakistan is closed”. She and her family prefer an English-speaking country for asylum.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales told The Tablet that the Conference “has been actively engaging with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Home Office, encouraging them to continue working with international partners to ensure safe sanctuary for Asia and her family”.
The British Pakistani Christian Association held a one-hour vigil at the Pakistan High Commission in London on Monday, praying for Bibi’s “swift and safe exit from Pakistan”.
In statement to the vigil, Margot Parker, Member of the European Parliament, called for the British Government to offer asylum to Asia Bibi and her family. Damian Green MP, the former Cabinet Office Minister, and 19 other Catholic MPs and Peers, have written to the Government urging it to allow her entry.
France and Belgium have said that they would be ready to grant asylum to Asia Bibi if she is freed to travel abroad.
"We have made the necessary approach to the Pakistani authorities so that, if she and her family want, they can come to France,” a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.
In Belgium, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said it was “perfectly possible” for Brussels to offer her and her family asylum. “We have already made an exceptional humanitarian decision in the past,” he said.
The Netherlands has granted asylum to Asia Bibi’s lawyer, Saif ul-Malook, and his family for three months under a special program for defenders of human rights. He is already in the country.