An appeal for church support from End Child Detention Now

Helen Boothroyd, Social Responsibility Officer for Churches Together in Cumbria writes:

A few weeks ago Churches Together in Cumbria was approached by the new End Child Detention Now campaign which aims to stop the incarceration of child asylum seekers. It was founded because of a case in Cumbria (Ibrahim, referred to in the letter we received).

Most of our Church Leaders have signed the petition on the Downing Street website. I then circulated it widely through my e-mail contact list and many other clergy and lay people from the Cumbria churches have also signed. We have featured it on our website too. Our Church Leaders will be discussing at their meeting next week whether they might, at an appropriate occasion, issue a joint statement on the issue.

I am personally very concerned about the treatment of asylum seekers in this country and feel it is an issue where the churches need to speak with a loud and prophetic voice. I therefore agreed to send the letter from the End Child Detention Now campaign around Ecumenical Officer colleagues. I hope that this is alright with you all.

Cumbria is not a dispersal area and I was not aware of recent asylum seekers in our county until the campaign contacted me, so this may be an issue in other counties too where it is far from apparent. And of course it is an issue of justice and compassion that should be an issue for all of us, wherever we live in Britain.

Thanks for your time, and best wishes

Helen Boothroyd

Tuesday 24 November 2009