Archbishop of York sends message to Nigel Farage over migrant deportation plan

The Archbishop of York has told Sky News the UK should defy Reform's "kneejerk" program for the wide deportation of migrants, telling Nigel Farage helium is not offering immoderate "long-term solution".

Stephen Cottrell said successful an interrogation with Trevor Phillips helium has "every sympathy" with radical who are acrophobic astir asylum seekers coming to the state illegally.

But helium criticised the program announced by Reform connected Tuesday to deport 600,000 people, which would beryllium enabled by striking deals with the Taliban and Iran, saying it volition not "solve the problem".

Mr Cottrell is presently acting caput of the Church of England portion a caller Archbishop of Canterbury is chosen.

Phillips asked him: "What's your effect to the radical who are saying the argumentation should beryllium 'you onshore here, unlawfully, you get locked up and you get deported consecutive away. No ifs, nary buts'?"

Mr Cottrell said helium would archer them "you haven't solved the problem", adding: "You've conscionable enactment it determination other and you've done thing to code the contented of what brings radical to this country.

"And truthful if you deliberation that's the answer, you volition observe successful owed people that each you person done is made the occupation worse.

"Don't misunderstand me, I person each sympathy with those who find this difficult, each sympathy - arsenic I bash with those surviving successful poverty.

"But… we should actively defy the benignant of isolationist, abbreviated word kneejerk 'send them home'."

Asked if that was his connection to the Reform leader, helium said: "Well, it is. I mean, Mr Farage is saying the things he's saying, but helium is not offering immoderate semipermanent solution to the large issues which are convulsing our world, which pb to this. And, I spot nary different way."

You tin ticker the afloat interrogation connected Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips connected Sky News from 8.30am

Mr Farage, the MP for Clacton, was asked astatine a quality league this week what helium would accidental if Christian leaders opposed his plan.

"Whoever the Christian leaders are astatine immoderate fixed constituent successful time, I deliberation implicit the past decades, rather a fewer of them person been alternatively retired of touch, possibly with their ain flock," helium said.

"We judge that what we're offering is close and proper, and we judge for a governmental enactment that was founded astir the slogan of family, community, state that we are doing close by each of those things, with these plans we enactment guardant today."

Sky News has approached Mr Farage for comment.