A church leader in Scotland has used his Christmas sermon to slam the Tory government's controversial Rwanda asylum policy branding it "Immoral".
The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, provost of the St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow, said he found it "difficult to believe" the current proposals to send those seeking asylum to the east African country "could be even worse".
Earlier this month senior judges at the High Court in London rejected arguments that plans to provide one-way tickets to Rwanda were unlawful.
Speaking at a midnight mass service, Rev Holdsworth said: "In the depths of this winter, there is much that could make us feel miserable. I find it difficult to believe that government policy on asylum could be even worse than it was a year ago.
"And yet, the current proposals to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for "processing" and settlement remind me just how sinful human beings can be. The Rwanda asylum policy may be legal but it is immoral."
Several challenges were brought against the proposals announced by then-home secretary Priti Patel in April, which she described as a "world-first agreement" with Rwanda in a bid to deter migrants from crossing the Channel.
The current Home Secretary Suella Braverman said earlier this week she was committed to sending migrants to Rwanda as soon as possible after the High Court decided the policy was lawful.
Downing Street officials admitted it was impossible to say when flights could take off while the threat of further legal action remained.
Speaking before the service, Rev Holdsworth said: "The Christmas story is always a reminder to Christians that we need to stand up to those in power on behalf of those who have least in society.
"As I read the Christmas story this year, I will be praying for all those who are on the run in our own times and praying that greater compassion will be shown towards those seeking refuge by government ministers."
Opposition parties hit out following the High Court judgement also branding it "immoral", while the SNP's Carol Monaghan wants the UK Government to back her Bill to give those seeking asylum the right to work.
The Glasgow North West MP introduced the Asylum Seekers (Permission to Work) (No. 2) Bill in September, with its second reading due to take place in March 2023. If passed, asylum seekers who are forced to wait six months for a decision will have the right to work in the UK.
She said: "By the end of this year, the UK Government will have wasted nearly £1 billion as a result of preventing asylum seekers from working. The policy doesn’t make sense and that money could do so much more.
"It is an utter disgrace that whilst the Tory government is frittering away hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money on the inhumane Rwanda deal, which we know won’t work, those who came here seeking a safe, new life have to live on around £40 per week.
"Allowing people to work contributes to our economy, supports people to live independently and makes both common and economic sense.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has previously spoken out against the Government's migrant policy and said he will continue to do so despite facing criticism.
Justin Welby used his speech in the Lords to warn that "control has become cruelty" while also arguing that the Rwanda scheme would be a failure.
He said he will continue to speak out against the Government's migrant policy, as he denied attacking the Home Secretary personally.
A UK government spokesperson said: "The UK has a proud history of supporting those in need of protection. Our resettlement programmes have provided safe and legal routes to better futures for hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe.
"However, the world is facing a global migration crisis on an unprecedented scale, and change is needed to prevent vile people smugglers putting people's lives at risk and to fix the broken global asylum system. Rwanda is a fundamentally safe and secure country with a track record of supporting asylum seekers."
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