Christian leaders and groups who criticised the morality of Rishi Sunak's Rwanda immigration policy have welcomed its removal under the new Labour government.
In a post on X, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the axing of the deportation programme was a "very welcome decision", but added that "the task of rebuilding our asylum system to meet the challenges of this century is immense".
He went on: "The @churchofengland will keep calling for an effective system that treats people with dignity, prevents dangerous crossings, and tackles criminal gangs.
"As always, we stand ready to support the UK Government to achieve that. We pray for them as they take on this great responsibility.
"We pray too for all those around the world who have been forced to flee their homes."
Hannah Rich, director of Christians on the Left, told Premier Christian News that she thought it was "brilliant" and "really symbolic" that axing the plan was one of Labour's first acts in government.
She explained: "I think on the Rwanda policy particularly, it’s not a new thing that we've heard the bishops speak on. They've been speaking out against it the entire time that it's been in existence.
"I think it's really brilliant and really symbolic that this is one of the first things we've done as a Labour government, to end that.
"I personally think it's a really immoral policy... I'm really glad to see the back of it.
"I think it's also symbolic of a better and warmer relationship with the House of Bishops than the previous government had."
In a speech announcing that the controversial scheme would be immediately scrapped, Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted the programme was "dead and buried before it started".
"It's never been a deterrent," he added. "I'm not prepared to continue with gimmicks that don't act as a deterrent."
Last November, the UK Supreme Court declared the policy unlawful, saying Rwanda could not be considered a safe third country, prompting ministers to sign a new treaty with the East African country and to pass new legislation to override this.
The legality of that move was being challenged by charities and unions in the courts.
The British government has already given the Rwandan government hundreds of millions of pounds to set up accommodation and hire extra officials to process the asylum seekers, money it cannot recover.
Starmer has said his government would create a Border Security Command that would bring together staff from the police, the domestic intelligence agency and prosecutors to work with international agencies to stop people smuggling.