Nichols renews plea to welcome refugees

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has renewed his call for refugees from the Middle East to be welcomed and accommodated in England and Wales amid fears that some of the most vulnerable are excluded from the Government’s relocation scheme, writes Rose Gamble.

Speaking on the eve of the 15 January World Day for Migrants and Refugees, the cardinal said that the Government should push for peace in the Middle East and, in the meantime, all refugees should be offered assistance.

Referring to the UK’s Syrian Vulnerable Person Relocation Scheme, the cardinal urged the Government to extend the scheme by making no distinction between those fleeing the fighting in Syria and those fleeing Iraq.

“The current approach means that many of the most vulnerable people, including Yazidi women and girls who have escaped from being held in sexual slavery by Daesh [Islamic State] and cannot access appropriate support in the region, are excluded from this opportunity for resettlement abroad on the basis of their nationality,” said a spokesman for Cardinal Nichols.

The cardinal praised the generosity of British Catholics for the part they have played in supporting the settlement of refugees.