According to the Bishop of Dover, British citizens would welcome visitors but are only concerned about immigration from "brown people.".
Rose-Hudson Wilkin said she had never heard anyone criticize Chinese or Ukrainian residents of Hong Kong in an interview with the BBC's Hardtalk.
She said to Stephen Sackur, "Don't you think that's interesting?
It is improper to contrast and pit vulnerable groups against one another, according to a government spokesman. ".
The bishop was responding to any worries her parishioners might have regarding small boat arrivals on the Kent coast.
Some Britons, according to Ms. Wilkin, who was born in Jamaica and is the first black woman to be appointed as a bishop by the Church of England, "do not understand their own history.".
"I love to remind the British that they were economic migrants when they went to Africa, Asia, or the Caribbean," she said.
They desired to enhance their lives. These people are acting in that manner. " .
And she added that "people feel a natural affinity and connection" with Britain and were drawn to it as a result of those historic connections around the world.
Last year, tens of thousands of people traveled across the English Channel in small boats, many of whom originated from some of the world's most impoverished and chaotic regions.
More than 8,000 people have traveled so far this year, which is down 2,000 from the same period in 2016.
In order to prevent immigrants from requesting asylum, the government's Illegal Migration Bill would grant ministers the authority to deport anyone entering the UK illegally.
In its place, they would be imprisoned and sent either to Rwanda, with which the UK has a deal, or to another "safe country.".
The government's plans, according to Ms. Wilkin, "appall" her because "people have moved, picked themselves up, picked their families, and decided [to go] where life is better since time immemorial.". ".
It is incorrect to compare and pit vulnerable groups against one another, according to a government spokesperson. The United Kingdom has a long history of helping those who require protection.
For hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world, our resettlement programs have offered safe and legal pathways to better futures.
To fix the broken global asylum system and stop vile people smugglers from endangering people's lives, the world is currently experiencing an unprecedented global migration crisis.
"Rwanda has a reputation for assisting asylum seekers and is fundamentally a safe and secure nation. " .
The Bishop of Dover, Rose-Hudson Wilkin, was interviewed in its entirety and can be heard on. BBC Sound. or . The BBC iPlayer.
