As many as 40 asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge are said to be converting to Christianity.

This has sparked fears that migrants are claiming to have changed their religion in order to be granted asylum.

It was revealed last week that Abdul Ezedi, the main suspect in the London chemical attack, was granted asylum only after converting to Christianity.

Ezedi had his asylum claim rejected twice, before it was approved on the third attempt, following his conversion.

This was despite the fact that he had been convicted of two sex offences just three years earlier.

Of the 300 migrants on the Bibby Stockholm barge, nearly one in seven are attending churches under supervision from local faith leaders, a church elder told the BBC.

David Rees, a church elder and education consultant, told the BBC that 40 asylum seekers on the Dorset barge had converted to Christianity, or were in the process of doing so.

He said: "Local faith leaders have visited the barge and work with the council and the barge management in looking after these guys."

Abdul Ezedi converted to Christianity before having his asylum claim approved

Rees stated he is confident that all 40 of the migrants on board the Bibby Stockholm who are undergoing conversions are doing so genuinely.

This has raised concerns on the validity of the conversions and over the role churches play in supporting asylum seekers in converting to Christianity.

In many cases it makes it easier for a migrant to claim asylum if they have converted to Christianity, because if they're returned to their home country as a 'Christian', they might not be safe.

40 asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge are said to be converting to Christianity

A Government source said: “There are clearly general questions about whether it is really possible to credibly substantiate the validity of a religious conversion, particularly where that opinion might be a main defence and carry very important implications.”