Dear Ms Johnson,
The recent published comments on Twitter by officials of the Home Office reveal the callous attitude of this Office to the plight of Refugees and Asylum Seekers.
These traumatised people do not, surely, take lightly the huge risks on open boats to cross the cold waters of the English Channel. They are fleeing unliveable conditions in their own country in the hope of finding a peaceful and more humane future in the country with the 6th largest economy in the world. They have the right to be listened to and to be treated with respect and empathy from the moment they show their intention of seeking asylum on our shores.
Please do your utmost to insist that the government in Westminster ensures that all refugees and asylum seekers are treated fairly and with dignity, whether they are on the French shore line of the English Channel, on a legal or illegal crossing attempt, or on the shores of the South of England.
Our common humanity demands this, even before we appeal to our Christian traditions of hospitality and care for the outcast.
Yours sincerely,
The Community of Missionaries of Africa,
St. Vincent de Paul Parish,
13 Hardy Street,
Liverpool L1 5JN
