Member

If I may be personal for a moment, I am very mindful—and indeed thankful—that I have been able to explore my vocation and serve and lead in the Church and wider community as a fully accepted member of British society, having arrived in this country as an asylum seeker when I was 14. Without British citizenship, this journey would not have been possible—indeed, I would not be standing before noble Lords today. If citizenship is to be seen as a privilege, not a right, then surely it is a gift that we should not close off for refugees merely on the basis of how they travelled here. Let us not forget that we are talking about people who have an established and legal right to remain in this country.