London: Save the Children vigil

No place for a child

Hundreds of unaccompanied children, some as young as eight, are currently living in the Jungle refugee camp in Calais. Around 325 of them are eligible for transfer to the UK - and have been for many months - but for some reason the paperwork has stalled. On Friday, 2nd September at 10am, London Citizens are organising a one hour vigil outside the Home Office in Marsham Street. Westminster and invite ICN readers to join them. Friday marks the anniversary of the death of Ayan Kurdi whose body was washed up on a Greek beach as his family fled Syria.

Last Friday a delegation of 22 faith leaders visited the Jungle camp. Fr Dominic Robinson from Farm Street Church, said: "the visit was an incredibly moving experience which I was so glad to be part of because this campaign is not so much about politics or religion but about common humanity. The children detained in the Calais camp are not numbers or security issues but real human beings in need of protection from real danger. We cannot stand idly by as unaccompanied children or children separated from their families are put at risk just for political capital. That's our common human responsibility and it was a great consolation to join with people of faith from across religious divides in a common cause for which we all feel responsible."

Canon Pat Browne of Holy Apostles Pimlico, who was part of the delegation commented: "One particular experience that sticks with me was meeting an Eritrean teenager who had fled through South Sudan, been captured (and escaped from) Daesh, before making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean. However, all he wanted to talk about was football. Children like this are simply looking for a deservedly normal life, free from fear. Living in The Jungle is unsafe for children. There have been five alleged murders there this week alone."

See also: ICN 28 August 2016 www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=30805