Select Committee · Home Affairs Committee
Asylum decision-making and conversion to Christianity
Status: Closed
Opened: 22 Feb 2024
Closed: 24 May 2024
Inquiry scope
The Home Affairs Committee is holding a one-off oral evidence session on 12 March to consider: To what extent conversion to Christianity is grounds for granting asylum or granting an appeal in the UK and how Home Office guidance is used in this process. How the genuineness of conversion to Christianity is assessed within the asylum decision-making system. How lawyers can challenge a Home Office refusal to grant leave to remain in the UK within the context of conversion to Christianity. How church leaders and the church community assess and support asylum seekers who wish to convert to Christianity, including the policies and guidance they have in place regarding conversion.Oral evidence sessions
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Mar 2024 | Dan Hobbs · Home Office, George Shirley · Home Office, The Rev Canon Christopher Thomas · The Catholic Church, The Reverend Matthew Firth · St Cuthbert's Church, Darlington, The Reverend Steve Tinning · Baptist Union of Great Britain, The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani · Church of England, Tom Pursglove · Home Office | View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
On smaller screens, scroll horizontally to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table region and use the arrow keys.
| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Dan Hobbs · Director General, Migration and Borders Group | Home Office | 1 |
| George Shirley · Director of Asylum and Human Rights Operations | Home Office | 1 |
| The Rev Canon Christopher Thomas · Senior Priest | The Catholic Church | 1 |
| The Reverend Matthew Firth · Former Priest | St Cuthbert's Church, Darlington | 1 |
| The Reverend Steve Tinning · Public Issues Enabler | Baptist Union of Great Britain | 1 |
| The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani · Bishop of Chelmsford | Church of England | 1 |
| Tom Pursglove · Minister of State for Legal Migration and the Border | Home Office | 1 |