The Archbishop of York John Sentamu has called on both Europe and the UK to admit responsibility for the ongoing refugee crisis.
The archbishop suggested that mainland European countries were trying to "shunt" migrants toward the UK, and thus absolve themselves of responsibility. These nations see Britain as a "soft touch" said Sentamu yesterday, The Times reports. He also called on Britain to do more to help Syrian refugees.
The Archbishop strongly criticised European nations of the Schengen region, established in 1985, which allows free movement without passport checks from Africa or the Middle East all the way to the English Channel.
This means refugees can cross Europe with no obligation for countries to support them. "Every nation has been shunting them and shunting them in the hope they will end up in the UK," Sentamu said. He called on the Schengen area countries to "own up to what they have created".
He added, "I think it should be that, wherever the asylum seekers arrive in that particular place, you have a responsibility for their care, their love," according to the Daily Mail.
Sentamu was himself a refugee, he came to the UK from Uganda in 1974, fleeing the brutality of Idi Amin.
He spoke in support of David Cameron's policy to send aid to neighbouring middle-eastern countries, helping refugees to eventually return home if peace returns. Although he criticised the Schengen nations of Europe, the Archbishop said Britain should accept responsibility for crisis in the middle east too. He said the turmoil in the region was at least in part rooted in the invasion of Iraq: "Britain and America should put up their hands and say: 'We created this'," he said.
Sentamu was speaking at the Henley Literary Festival, promoting his new book Agape Love Stories, which was released yesterday. The book features different individuals writing about "how an experience of God's agape love gave them hope and changed lives."
