Vigil at Home Office for those who drowned in the Channel

Monday's prayer vigil

Westminster Justice and Peace and the London Catholic Worker gather outside the Home Office on Monday to pray and remember the 27 men, women and children who died in the Channel last month. Attended by around 20 people the vigil took an hour to dwell on the terrible dramas provoked by the French and British governments' refusal to allow safe passage for migrants on our joint border.

Brother Johannes Maertens stated that we had been praying here before, to remember not only the recent deaths, but the thousands who have died either in the Mediterranean or in the Channel while trying to reach a place of safety in Europe. He recalled the practice in Calais where volunteers had met and stood in a circle for an hour of silence for those who had died, some of whose names were also read on Monday.

Barbara Kentish reflected that the Advent theme of rejoicing could be hard to reconcile with the tragedy being commemorated, which was a time of such sadness. Thankfully, we could take hope not only that so many voluntary organisations were working to support refugees, but also that the Royal National Lifeboat Institute had declared it would not stop saving lives at sea, no matter the reason they were there. And, amazingly, the UK Border Force had promised to take union action if they were forbidden to rescue those at risk of drowning. There is a substantial number of UK citizens who want to see humanitarian treatment of migrants on our borders.

Alas, this seems unlikely to happen in the near future, and the Nationality and Borders Bill, which gives no provision for safe routes to the UK, is likely to pass into law shortly, this vigil will be repeated on the third Monday of every month at the Home Office at 12.30pm. All are invited to join in, and to take all opportunities to hold prayers for this disastrous situation.

If you would like to receive further information on these vigils, please contact barbarakentish@talktalk.net or johanmaertens@hotmail.com