Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric has called for
political leaders to extinguish "the discourse of fear" that plagues
immigration's contribution to the economy.
The Most Rev
Vincent Nichols , the Archbishop of Westminster, said migrant workers helped
ensure large cities such as London were able to "carry on working",
and said it was time for senior politicians to "appeal to something more
normal and more substantial than fear" when discussing foreign workers'
contributions to the economy.
The Archbishop,
who is to be created as a Cardinal by Pope Francis in Rome this weekend,
reiterated his opinion that people being forced to turn to food banks in the UK
was a "disgrace", but admitted the church had its part to play in the
"failure".
Speaking
from the Archbishop's House in Westminster ahead of his departure to Italy, the
Archbishop identified London as an example of where the benefits of immigration
could be seen.
He said:
" It is perfectly clear in this city if you are up early and on the tubes
early in the morning, the people coming in to this city to make sure it carries
on working are the immigrant communities.
"If you
go to the National Health Service you know very well that a lot of its work and
ongoing survival and service is down to immigrant communities.
"I
think we really should have a positive appreciation of the contribution that
people who come to this country make to our well-being and economy. I think the
idea that immigrants are a net drain on our economy is false.
"We
should not have a discourse about immigration which is based on fear."
He added:
"I think it is - quite frankly - a lack of political leadership if we
fashion a debate around fear. I think leaders ought to appeal to something more
normal and more substantial than fear."
The
Archbishop was also asked to discuss his views on the welfare system, against a
backdrop of soaring demand for handouts.
Nearly
500,000 people in the UK needed support from food banks last year, according to
figures from the Trussell Trust.
The
Archbishop said: " The fact that people are left in destitution is a
disgrace. The fact of people left for weeks on end without any support and
therefore having to have recourse for food banks in a country as affluent as
our is a disgrace.
"I
accept a reform of the welfare system is necessary. It is a complex, difficult
thing to achieve. I accept that these things were unintended consequences of
reform.
"My
concern is to echo the voices that come to me of the circumstances today -
people are hungry, destitute.
"There
must be something wrong with the administration that has that effect on so many
people's lives. I believe that is an issue that can be tackled."
Asked if the
fact that people were struggling on handouts indicated that the church had a
"failed" in its responsibilities to safeguard communities, the
Archbishop replied: "Certainly."
But he
added: "Pope Francis presents these two things to us - the vision of what
we should be, and he's not afraid of the reality of what we are."
He said the
church and businesses should also be more sensitive to their ethical
responsibilities.
"It (business)
must see itself located as an important player and contributor to
society," he said. "A good business will not survive in a broken
society."
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