Refugee deaths: "This cannot be right."

Fr Joe Ryan, a former Chair of Westminster Diocese Justice and Peace, gave the following talk at the monthly Vigil for Refugees at the Home Office on 15 January. The vigil was organised by Westminster Justice and Peace Commission, London Catholic Worker and London Churches Refugee Fund.

My dear friends, as we stand in vigil here, outside of the home office.

I would dearly wish some of my words would be heard and responded to by the members working in the office behind me.

We have just heard the details of our brothers and sisters who have died in so many different tragic circumstances, all hoping do I have made it for a better life here in the United Kingdom. These are these are human beings just like ourselves with feelings, with hopes with ambitions, with families. All of these are shattered. We have listened to many sad stories as we have over the past months and years, each time we hold a vigil here outside of the home office.

Just to pick out one of the many tragedies. We heard of the 29-year-old Sudanese man who threw himself in front of a train in Calais. As he was doing this, he waved goodbye to a local volunteer from the tracks....what desperation is evident here, telling the story of so many similar drastic solutions to the human situation. This cannot be right!

Reflecting again on the gospel of Matthew, chapter 2

It just shows that things have changed very little in 2000 years.

Innocents are still being slaughtered. Many of those in Gaza, who are killed and maimed for life are innocent children. Joseph and Mary had to fly to Egypt, to escape Herod's wrath and murdering policy. Dare I say it, Herod is still alive and well today. Or at least, his policy of death and destruction is, very much alive, not to speak of his son, Archelaus, who evidently, continued the same vengeful policy of his father, Herod. That is why Joseph and Mary and the young Jesus did not go back to Judea, but to the region of Galilee., the town of Nazareth.

Innocents are still being slaughtered... many of those who are killed and maimed for life are innocent children. The same is true of those drowned at sea, and whom we are remembering today.

And what are we doing? What is happening in our name?

The home secretary, James Cleverly, not too long ago, signed a treaty paving the way for the policy of deportation to be set up in Rwanda. But interestingly the word DEPORTATION has not been used. I wonder why? Because it would tell it as it is. And we could remember such policies in the past.... all of this, before the forthcoming elections. Migrants are human pawns in a political strategy.

We are reminded to be fearful of all those migrants who are coming to take over our country.

We are reminded to defend ourselves against those who are seeking asylum to save their lives, fleeing from war, and violence and starvation. The fact is that the policy is contradicted by the courts of justice and is in violation of the Geneva Convention on human rights. This has been totally ignored. This cannot be Mr James Cleverly, and those who are sitting in the office behind me.

How I would dearly wish that we would be able to make some representation face-to-face with you, who are supporting inhumane solutions for those who are very vulnerable and seeking compassion. All they get is a response of rejection. This cannot be right.

We have a home secretary who has devised a five-point plan in which the minimum salary required for a skilled worker to get a Visa is £38,700. This cannot be right.

I haven't been able to say anything about Yemen, the tragedy of the conflict in the Red Sea....

I haven't mentioned Ukraine and Russia... there are so many other troubled areas in our world that I haven't mentioned....

I would like to conclude by remembering young Harry Pitman, who died, at Primrose Hill on New Year's Eve, as he and his friends were seeing in the New Year. Harry, was member of our Confirmation group two years ago at St John Vianney Church, West Green. We remember Harry, his school friends and his family at this time. He is one of a long list of young people slaughtered in our streets here in London. This cannot be right!

There is much for us to contemplate. We try to raise our voices for peace and reconciliation.

We raise our voices today for those who have lost their lives in the tragic circumstances that we have outlined. We remember them. They are not forgotten.

We continue to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters, who are suffering in so many different ways.

Thank you and keep up the good work of Christian public witness on behalf of others.