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| Syria refugees: Bishops urge David Cameron to do more | Syria refugees: Bishops urge David Cameron to do more |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Eighty-four Church of England bishops have revealed that they wrote to David Cameron last month urging him to accept at least 50,000 refugees from Syria. | |
| Their letter said the PM's decision to accept 20,000 by 2020 was not an adequate response and said most British people wanted to offer more help. | Their letter said the PM's decision to accept 20,000 by 2020 was not an adequate response and said most British people wanted to offer more help. |
| The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Paul Butler, said it was "disheartening" they had not had a "substantive reply". | The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Paul Butler, said it was "disheartening" they had not had a "substantive reply". |
| No 10 said it had a "comprehensive approach" to the refugee crisis. | No 10 said it had a "comprehensive approach" to the refugee crisis. |
| In addition to offering to accept 20,000 refugees from camps bordering war-torn Syria, the government has provided £1bn in aid to Syria, with an extra £100m given to charities to help thousands of people displaced by the conflict. | In addition to offering to accept 20,000 refugees from camps bordering war-torn Syria, the government has provided £1bn in aid to Syria, with an extra £100m given to charities to help thousands of people displaced by the conflict. |
| 'Human suffering' | 'Human suffering' |
| But in a statement released when the bishops made their letter public, Bishop Butler said: "As the fighting intensifies, as the sheer scale of human misery becomes greater, the government's response seems increasingly inadequate to meet the scale and severity of the problem. | But in a statement released when the bishops made their letter public, Bishop Butler said: "As the fighting intensifies, as the sheer scale of human misery becomes greater, the government's response seems increasingly inadequate to meet the scale and severity of the problem. |
| "It is disheartening that we have not received any substantive reply despite an assurance from the prime minister that one would be received. | "It is disheartening that we have not received any substantive reply despite an assurance from the prime minister that one would be received. |
| "There is an urgent and compelling moral duty to act which we as bishops are offering to facilitate alongside others from across civil society." | "There is an urgent and compelling moral duty to act which we as bishops are offering to facilitate alongside others from across civil society." |
| Downing Street said the government wanted to tackle "the causes and consequences" of the refugee problem and that the UK was the second biggest donor in the world to helping refugees in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. | |
| In their letter, sent on 10 September, the bishops said they "recognise and applaud the leadership" Mr Cameron had shown when he announced the UK would accept 20,000 refugees but added the UK should do more to help tackle "one of the largest refugee crises ever recorded". | In their letter, sent on 10 September, the bishops said they "recognise and applaud the leadership" Mr Cameron had shown when he announced the UK would accept 20,000 refugees but added the UK should do more to help tackle "one of the largest refugee crises ever recorded". |
| "We believe such is this country's great tradition of sanctuary and generosity of spirit that we could feasibly resettle at least 10,000 people a year for the next two years, rising to a minimum of 50,000 in total over the five year period you foresaw in your announcement," they wrote. | "We believe such is this country's great tradition of sanctuary and generosity of spirit that we could feasibly resettle at least 10,000 people a year for the next two years, rising to a minimum of 50,000 in total over the five year period you foresaw in your announcement," they wrote. |
| "Such a number would bring us into line with comparable commitments made by other countries. It would be a meaningful and substantial response to the scale of human suffering we see daily." | "Such a number would bring us into line with comparable commitments made by other countries. It would be a meaningful and substantial response to the scale of human suffering we see daily." |
| Lawyers' criticism | Lawyers' criticism |
| The letter, signed by 84 of the Church's 108 bishops, also said they would encourage churches and congregations to make spare housing available to refugees and promote foster caring. | The letter, signed by 84 of the Church's 108 bishops, also said they would encourage churches and congregations to make spare housing available to refugees and promote foster caring. |
| Neither the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby nor the Archbishop of York John Sentamu signed the letter, though both have called for a compassionate response to the refugee crisis. | Neither the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby nor the Archbishop of York John Sentamu signed the letter, though both have called for a compassionate response to the refugee crisis. |
| The Most Rev Justin Welby has previously promised to offer sanctuary for refugees in the form of a four-bedroom cottage in the grounds of Lambeth Palace. | The Most Rev Justin Welby has previously promised to offer sanctuary for refugees in the form of a four-bedroom cottage in the grounds of Lambeth Palace. |
| The bishops' letter comes a week after leading former judges and lawyers also criticised the government's "slow and narrow" response to Syrian refugees. | The bishops' letter comes a week after leading former judges and lawyers also criticised the government's "slow and narrow" response to Syrian refugees. |
| Lord Phillips, former UK Supreme Court head, and Lord Macdonald, ex-director of public prosecutions, were among 300 to sign an open letter on the issue. | Lord Phillips, former UK Supreme Court head, and Lord Macdonald, ex-director of public prosecutions, were among 300 to sign an open letter on the issue. |
| They too argued that the current offer to accept 20,000 refugees over five years was not enough. One retired judge said the UK could cope with taking in 75,000 a year. | They too argued that the current offer to accept 20,000 refugees over five years was not enough. One retired judge said the UK could cope with taking in 75,000 a year. |