The Archbishop of Southwark, John Wilson, has warned that in the refugee debate, “we must not lose sight of our common humanity, we must not lose sight of the person, and we must value and love the person”.
In a podcast last week, linked to the launch of Caritas in Southwark and to the controversial Illegal Migration Bill returning to the House of Commons this week, he described the issue of refugees as “a crucial issue, for we have people before us who are in desperate need and if we lose sight of this we lose sight of our conscience as a country.”
He spoke of visiting Dover, which is in his diocese, and particularly the lifeboat station, where he was told: “Our mission to save people in danger at sea no matter who they are or where they are from.”
Lifeboat personnel have faced abuse for rescuing asylum seekers from small boats in the Channel. Archbishop Wilson said: “They are doing incredible work, as are churches and community organisations that work to welcome and support refugees in that part of the world.”
He added that “politics have to be at the service of the human person and the dignity of the human person”, and, addressing the government’s hostile attitude to asylum seekers, he called for humane resolutions rather than “isolating people or transporting them elsewhere”.
He launched Caritas Southwark as a new networking agency of the archdiocese, “so that our diocese, within which there is enormous social need, can really start to put the practical Gospel of love, of neighbour into practice in a new way”.
He mentioned reaching out to families facing food poverty, care of the elderly, and tackling knife crime. He praised the warm collaboration the diocese already has with Pact’s work supporting prisoners and their families, and the Manna Society, a day centre for homeless people in South London.
The podcast followed a special Mass to launch Caritas Southwark in St George’s Cathedral, where Archbishop Wilson challenged diocesan parishes and schools to serve, “those beyond the walls of our churches.”
“Let us create opportunities to call forth the gifts and talents of the people of our archdiocese, especially young people in our parishes and schools, in loving and humble service of others,” he said.
Concerns about the implications of the Illegal Migration Bill have been raised by church groups in petitions and vigils at parliament.
They were voiced on Thursday by the Jesuit Refugee Service UK (JRS UK) with the release of its report, Napier Barracks – Emblematic of Life in the Asylum System.
Interviews with men held at the dilapidated army base near Folkestone in Kent revealed an inhumane system which threatens to expand exponentially if the Illegal Migration Bill is passed.
“The whole asylum process was traumatising, and Napier Barracks was emblematic of that,” said Erfan, a resident for two months.
“The government plans to make sites like Napier the new normal for asylum accommodation, and this report demonstrates how profoundly destructive that would be for all those involved,” says the document.
Sarah Teather, director of JRS UK, said: “Disused military barracks are especially inappropriate as asylum accommodation. The military barracks are prison-like and institutional. In this report, men have shared how the conditions at Napier are reminiscent of conditions they fled. These quasi-detention conditions expose people to significant re-trauma.
“This serves no good purpose. It is ghettoising. It must not be the new normal for asylum accommodation in the UK. It is not too late to turn back.”
Loading ...
