The Archsbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has pleaded for Britain to take up the Easter message of resurrection and ensure refugees are given the protection they need. Writing in _The Independent_ newspaper the Archbishop argues that when the public-spending cuts bite, it should not be the most vulnerable of all who suffer.

Dr Sentamu, who came to the UK in 1973 as a refugee from Idi Amin’s Uganda, says he wants to belong to a society that treats its vulnerable people with respect. He points out that in the heat of the asylum debate it is important to consider the evidence carefully. He cites the example of the government sending refused asylum seekers back to places like Congo and Cameroon, and the “increasingly unpalatable evidence …that some returnees from the UK, including those with young children, are subjected to imprisonment, torture, abuse and starvation.” By the time we learn of their appalling fate, the Archbishopp says, “it is too late to say, ‘we got it wrong'”.

You can read the full text of the Arcbishop’s speech here.