Discrimination against Christians? Refugee Policies of UNHCR and U.K.

Manfred Karl Böhm (Editor- Christian Affairs Europe) OCP News Service – 17/8/18

U.K.: Christians and other minorities such as Yazidis from the Middle East do not seem to be very welcome in the U.K. UNHCR recently recommended 1,358 Syrians for refugee resettlement among which only four were Christians. U.K. accepted 1,112 Syrians, but no Christians.

In 2016, 7,060 Syrians were recommended by the UNHCR, including 25 Christians. The Home Office accepted 4,850 Syrians, out of which only 11 were Christians, and there were no Yazidis in the list. In 2015, there were 43 Christians and 13 Yazidis.

The suspicion of discrimination against Christians and Yazidis is obvious, according to political analyst Judith Bergman. In a letter to Sajid Javid (Home Secretary), Lord David Alton (a life peer in the House of Lords), accused the UNHCR of bias against religious minorities in Syria and recalled the government of its obligation to ensure that they don’t close their eyes (towards direct or indirect discrimination by the UN).

Last year, Lord George Leonard Carey (former Archbishop of Canterbury), criticized the refugee policy of the government. The Lord suggested that the officials have a “politically-correct phobia of avoiding any risk of being perceived as anti-Muslim”. He also said that “The Muslim victims of the conflict in the Middle East deserve the same compassion as the minority victims. But at the moment they are receiving more support than minorities.”

Christians in Syria accounted for 10% of the population before the civil war. Only 5% of Christian ARE living in Syria today. Christians were the main targets of Jihadists and minorities in Syria remains threatened.

References:
https://www.wnd.com/2018/08/see-who-refused-to-accept-4-christian-refugees/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-christian-refugees-syria-lord-george-carey-discrimination-archbishop-of-canterbury-muslims-a7681446.html

Source:
OCP News Service