The UK asylum system’s “ridiculous” approach to persecuted Christians in the Middle East must be reformed, a conference heard on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The speaker, an Egyptian research Fellow at the University of Sussex, Dr Mariz Tadros, also challenged those who caution against Christians’ leaving the region.<\/p>\n
“I strongly disagree with the idea that, if we let them go, they will not come back,” she said. “It’s a very male-biased representation of what is going on. [We are hearing from] non-married religious leaders, not the mothers of young daughters at risk of being kidnapped, or of sons feeling almost suicidal.”<\/p>\n
She described the response of the UK asylum system to Christians seeking asylum as “atrocious”, and “ridiculous”. She said: “There needs to be pressure on Western governments to say ‘Open your borders to allow these people to come.’ They are dying of hunger and cold on the borders of Lebanon and Jordan.”<\/p>\n