Janice R. Andrews
An investigation into the baptism of migrants on board the Bibby Stockholm barge, based off Portland in Dorset, has been launched by the UK government. The Home Secretary initiated this investigation in response to claims from a church in Weymouth that Muslim men living on board were getting ready for Christian baptism.
Tim Loughton, a Sussex MP, raised the issue in Parliament, voicing worries about how immigrants who have converted to Christianity are handled by the asylum system.
The baptism requests’ original source, Weymouth Baptist Church, insists they are authentic. Dave Rees, an elder in the church, said that the asylum seekers’ conversions were genuine and that the necessary procedures were in place to confirm their beliefs.
When it became known that some immigrants had professed to be Christians in their native countries and that others had finished the UK’s version of the evangelical Alpha course, the controversy grew even further.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded to the growing controversy by confirming that Home Secretary James Cleverly had asked for more data on Christian conversions among migrants.
In a statement, the Archbishop of Canterbury emphasized the biblical duty to show compassion for strangers and called for a more realistic representation of the church’s assistance for those in need.
The Bibby Stockholm has come under fire for its living arrangements. The government chartered it to house about 500 people as they awaited asylum decisions. After the unfortunate death of a migrant, Leonard Farruku, pleas for improved conditions on board the vessel were made due to concerns about small quarters.
As the investigation progresses, concerns about the asylum procedure and the roles played by the state and religious organizations in aiding migrants fleeing to the UK remain.
