Archbishop criticises Reform's Farage over 'knee-jerk' UK asylum plans

31/8/2025 17:23

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has criticised the leader of Britain's populist Reform UK party, Nigel Farage, describing his plans for mass deportations of asylum seekers as an "isolationist, short-term, knee-jerk" response.



Cottrell, the Church of England's second most senior clergyman who is performing some functions of the Archbishop of Canterbury while a new head of the Church is selected, told Sky News that Brexit veteran Farage was "not offering any long-term solution to the big issues which are convulsing our world".



He said in an pre-recorded interview aired on Sunday that people should "actively resist the kind of isolationist, short-term, knee-jerk ... send them home" policies.



In response, Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice, said "the role of the Archbishop is not actually to interfere with international migration policy that is determined by the government".



Cottrell's criticism is the latest in a growing row in Britain over how to deal with the large numbers of asylum seekers arriving in boats, an issue which has seen weeks of summer protests outside hotels where some of them are housed.