How would Jesus, Mary and Joseph fare if they sought refuge under the new borders bill?

Fleeing a government like King Herod’s, Jesus’s parents may well have had to put their lives in the hands of people smugglers, writes Vanessa Ganguin

Woodcut engraving after a drawing by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872) (Getty)

Watching our children’s nativity plays this year made me reflect on how Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus would fare if they were forced to flee Bethlehem for modern day England rather than Egypt.

Priti Patel’s controversial Nationality and Borders Bill, currently in the House of Lords, will punish refugees for taking steps to seek safety on our island. Parts of the bill abandon international treaty obligations to give refugees a fair hearing however they manage to escape here.

The home secretary insists such clauses will deter traffickers and make their routes “unviable”. Yet the recent tragedy of 27 people drowning in the English Channel, including children and a pregnant mother, hasn’t deterred others from setting off across ever more treacherous winter seas – a route which could hardly be less viable.