Churches have condemned the British Government as un-Christian over its rejection of rescue missions for refugees drowning in the Mediterranean.
Bishop Patrick Lynch, who speaks for the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales on migration, said the decision not to support rescues was “a misguided abdication of responsibility” to thousands of desperate people fleeing war and persecution in the Middle East and Africa.
He said that as Europe’s “leading naval power” the UK has a moral responsibility to step in to save those risking death in attempting to reach Europe.
The Anglican Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Alan Smith, said the decision was one he would “lament”.
The article leaves more questions unanswered than otherwise. Who are these refugees, where did they come from and where are they headed? The Med it a big place – where are the refugees picked up?
The UK is described as “Europe’s leading naval power†by the good bishop, but he is probably looking back to the days of Nelson or Jellicoe. The website Global Fire Power reports that the UK is no better than 36th among nations in available ships, and ranks behind Italy, France, and Greece – plus Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland and Germany in that category. Morocco has more ships than Britain. And traditionally of course, the US has a strong naval presence in the Mediterranean. The Brits have substantially disarmed since the end of the Cold War. See http://www.globalfirepower.com/navy-ships.asp.
I suggest that a more cogent analysis is that this is an instance of left-wing English bishops, of which there are plenty, condemning security policies of a Conservative-led government.