Six barge migrants baptised on same day

SIX Bibby Stockholm asylum seekers were baptised at a church in Weymouth last Sunday.

Around 40 men on the barge are practising Christians or inquiring about the Christian faith, The Telegraph has been told.

Of these, seven have been baptised at Weymouth Baptist Church since October – six of these were last weekend.

Church leaders and Home Office officials are facing questions over asylum seekers converting to Christianity.

It follows the revelation that the Clapham chemical attack suspect – Abdul Ezedi – was granted asylum because he had converted to Christianity. This was despite being convicted of two sex offences three years earlier.

Mike Stear, a spokesman for Weymouth Baptist Church, said the church had a “rigorous programme of baptism preparation in place” which lasted around six weeks and that it was important the process was taken “not for any ulterior motives”.

A spokesman for the church stressed that the “majority” of the 40 migrants were already practising Christians before arriving in the UK.

It is also understood that a large number of the group come from Iran – where conversion from Islam to Christianity is illegal.

Mr Stear, 76, said: “If they [asylum seekers] have been inquiring about baptism then the church has a rigorous programme of baptism preparation: there’s also ongoing Bible study on a weekly basis and the guys will attend that.”

Between 10 and 15 of the 40 Christian migrants on the Bibby Stockholm were baptised at churches in other parts of the country before being taken to the barge, Mr Stear estimates.