British Groups Calls For Change In Handling of Religious Asylum Claims

In Britain, a leading Christian group, the Evangelical Alliance, has called for changes in the way in which the Home Office and courts handle claims for asylum by converts to Christianity who claim they will be persecuted if returned to their home countries. The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees may entitle them to stay in Britain. The London Times yesterday reported that the truthfulness of a claim that a person has converted is often tested by the Home Office through asking questions about the applicant's knowledge of the Bible. However, in many countries the Bible is banned so that converts have not had the opportunity to study it in depth. Also inadequate translators sometimes fail to accurately convey the applicant's statements about the persecution he or she will face if deported. In some Muslim countries, conversion from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death.