Thousands of care jobs for Zimbabweans at risk as UK debates assisted dying law
A Bill currently before the British Parliament could affect thousands of Zimbabwean jobs in the UK if it becomes law.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is due for its second reading in September. It proposes allowing critically ill patients to use lethal drugs to end their lives.
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Nottingham, Right Rev Patrick Joseph McKinney, has described the proposal as “assisted suicide”.
In a pastoral letter read across the Diocese on Sunday, Bishop McKinney urged Catholics to write to their MPs to raise concerns about the Private Members’ Bill.
For Zimbabwe, the impact could be significant. Thousands of Zimbabweans work in the UK care sector, and remittances sent home every year have helped many families cope with economic challenges.
A change in the law could mean less palliative care work, which has been a key source of employment.
Bishop McKinney said the Bill has serious implications for the sanctity of life and how life is valued and protected.
He warned that in countries where similar laws were introduced, such Canada and New Zealand, the criteria was quickly broadened to include chronic disease, disability and mental health conditions.
In some cases, people chose euthanasia because of financial worries or because they felt they were a burden to their families, he said.
The Bishop called on the UK Government to increase funding for palliative care instead, saying it was concerning that the Bill is being pushed at a time when funding for palliative care is low.
He said it was ironic that Britain, which pioneered the modern hospice movement, is now considering such a law.
“As Catholics we can never support assisted suicide in any situation or any circumstances,” said Bishop McKinney.
“The Commandment, You shall not kill, makes clear that to deliberately kill or to support in the killing of an innocent person is a grave violation of the moral law.
“This Commandment demands that we value and safeguard human life at every stage of life, until its natural end.”
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