Death in the Channel: Floral tributes laid at Dover memorial

Ben Bano laying flowers at the memorial on Dover seafront

Floral Tributes have been laid at the memorial on Dover seafront in memory of Abdulfatah Hamdallah (known as "Wadji"), a young man from Sudan who drowned while attempting to cross the Channel from France to seek asylum in the UK. The wreath, in the colours of the Sudanese flag, carries a message based upon his last Facebook post: "On the palm of fate we walk, and don't know what's written. Your's was written too short, may your freedom in the Hereafter long live".

Ben Bano, Co-Director of Seeking Sanctuary commented: "This tragic death reminds us of the risks that desperate people take in order to find sanctuary. A life full of hope and opportunity has been lost, like many others who have in recent years. Let us mourn them and remember them - in the words of Pope Francis, 'Every migrant has a name, a face and a story'."

'Seeking Sanctuary' aims to raise awareness about people displaced from their homes and to channel basic humanitarian assistance from Faith Communities and Community Organisations via partnerships with experienced aid workers. Our special concern is for the 2000 or so exiles who are stuck in north-western France, mistakenly expecting a welcome in the UK.

They need food, water, good counsel and clothes, which are accepted, sorted and distributed by several organisations, including two Calais warehouses which also supply needs further afield.

LINK

www.seekingsanctuary.weebly.com