10 March 2022
London Church leaders including the Bishop of Barking, the Rt Revd Lynne Cullens and the Archdeacon of West Ham, the Venerable Elwin Cockett, have written to the UK Government, on 9 March 2022, urging it to expand sponsorship to all Ukrainian refugees on humanitarian grounds, allowing them to enter the UK as quickly as possible.
The letter was written following the meeting of London Church Leaders at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family to pray with Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski and his people (pictured above)
In the letter, the church leaders said:
“We are encouraged by the government’s family sponsorship programme and welcome the intention to establish a pathway to humanitarian sponsorship.
“As the number of Ukrainian citizens seeking shelter outside the borders of Ukraine is estimated to reach close to two million, we cannot but emphasise the urgency to act swiftly and without delay…
“…We would ask that sponsorship not be limited to those with family members in the UK, but that those sponsorship criteria be expanded to include all Ukrainian refugees on humanitarian grounds, allowing them to enter the UK as quickly as possible.”
Those signing were:
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster
Archbishop Nikitas, Archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain
Bishop Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark
Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese of London
Rev Phil Barnard, Team Leader London Baptist Association
Rev Dr Jongikaya Zihle, Methodist Conference
Revd George Watt, Moderator URC Thames North
Lt Colonel David Shakespeare, Salvation Army
Les Isaac OBE, President of the Ascension Trust
Andy Frost, Moderator of Free Churches Group Jesus International
Bishop Lynne Cullens, Bishop of Barking
Rev Msgr Kevin Hale, Vicar General Diocese of Brentwood
Ven Elwin Crockett, Archdeacon of West Ham
The Ven Luke Miller, Archdeacon of London
You can read the full text of their letter here.
This story was originally published on the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland website
