Bishop: Migration concerns only for 鈥榖rown people鈥�
The British were economic migrants during colonisation, says Bishop of Dover
The Bishop of Dover says she finds 鈥渋t interesting鈥� that concerns about migration are 鈥渙nly for the brown people鈥�. Talking to the 麻豆约拍 HARDtalk programme about concerns her congregants may have about the arrivals on small boats on the south coast of England, Rose Hudson-Wilkin said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 hear people saying that about the Ukrainians coming or even the Hong Kong Chinese people coming. Isn鈥檛 that interesting? I find it interesting鈥�.
Challenged by Stephen Sackur about her previous comments on fears around migration being 鈥渇uelled by plain ignorance鈥�, Hudson-Wilkin, who is the first black female bishop appointed by the Church of England, said she meant there is an 鈥渋gnorance in understanding鈥� of 鈥渨hy people want to come here鈥�. Speaking in Canterbury, the bishop, who was born in Jamaica, said that some British people 鈥渄o not understand their own history鈥� when it comes to migration.
Britain鈥檚 history is one of migration, Hudson-Wilkin said: 鈥淚 love to remind the British that they were economic migrants when they went to Africa, when they went to Asia, when they travelled to the Caribbean. They wanted to improve their lives. That鈥檚 what these people are doing.鈥� It鈥檚 because of those global historic links that 鈥減eople feel a natural affinity and connection鈥� with Britain and want to come here, Bishop Rose said. 鈥淧eople do not understand the connection with Britain, that Britain has with the rest of the world鈥�.
