“As Christians, our starting point must be the innate dignity of every person because each of us is created in the image and likeness of God. We, therefore, should never view people arriving on our shores as a political problem, but as brothers and sisters to whom we have responsibilities and who greatly enrich our communities”, said Bishop Paul McAleenan, Lead Bishop for Migrants and Refugees for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, in response to last Thursday’s ruling by the UK Court of Appeal that declared unlawful the UK Government’s plan to deport to Rwanda those arriving in the UK illegally. The ruling by the High Court, which had given the go-ahead to the UK Government last December, was challenged by several asylum seekers legally represented by the association “Asylum Aid”. “The proposal to send some of those seeking asylum to Rwanda stands at odds with the teaching of the Church. It is the responsibility of the UK Government, and the whole international community, to ensure that we have an immigration system that upholds the dignity of human life. We continue to pray for all those seeking to support and uphold the dignity of those who seek safety”, Bishop McAleenan concluded.