THE Archbishop of Canterbury accused the government of “cruelty” in its treatment of asylum-seekers today as he called for “harmful rhetoric” used by Suella Braverman to stop. 

Opening a debate in the House of Lords this morning, Justin Welby appeared to criticise the Home Secretary for using language that “dehumanises” small boat arrivals after she branded people seeking asylum in Britain as “invaders.” 

“When we fail to challenge the harmful rhetoric that refugees are the cause of this country’s ills, that they should be treated as problems not people, invaders to be tackled and deterred, we deny the essential value and dignity of fellow human beings,” he told peers.