Archbishop of Canterbury attacks ‘morally unacceptable’ small boats bill

Sunak’s plan ‘fails to live up to our history’, says Justin Welby – but No 10 fires back by saying ‘nothing compassionate’ about allowing people to drown

The Archbishop of Canterbury has attacked Rishi Sunak’s planned crackdown on migrants arriving by small boats during a debate in the House of Lords.

Justin Welby said the Illegal Migration Bill represented a “dramatic departure” from Britain’s obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention to allow arrivals to make asylum claims.

“I urge the government to reconsider much of the bill – which fails to live up to our history, our moral responsibility and our political and international interests,” said the Church of England’s most senior bishop.