More than 200 religious leaders have urged the UK to relax immigration rules so refugees from Syria and other areas can be reunited with their families. In a letter to the Prime Minister Theresa May, they say close relatives of Britons and refugees already in the country are living abroad in desperate conditions and should be given a legal route in. People are now making unsafe journeys with avoidable tragedies. Ministers say the UK has been at the head of the response to the crisis.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is among representatives from the Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh faiths to have signed the letter to Theresa May. The signatories, who are acting in a personal capacity, also include Baroness Rabbi Julia Neuberger and Muslim Council of Britain secretary general Harun Rashid Khan. The letter calls on the government to urgently revise its policy to help refugees fleeing Syria, Iraq and other areas of conflict by adopting fair and humane family reunion policies.