The Sanctuary Pledge

Dear Friends,

Children need your help. Plymouth Citizens for Sanctuary (a non-political coalition of citizens) are gathering at Place De Brest in the City Centre on Monday, 26th April at 4.30 p.m. to hopefully persuade our prospective Parliamentary Candidates to sign the Sanctuary Pledge. So far only one of the three candidates has even taken the time to reply to two letters in the last three weeks. We need to increase the pressure by gathering as many people as possible to illustrate that the people of Plymouth will no longer accept that the UK should imprison innocent children any more.

This is happening around the UK in 200 or more swing constituencies. There is the very real possibility that enough effort now can bring a real chance of change. But that opportunity only exists this side of the General Election on the 6th May.

Our aim is to have three cardboard sets of bars with children behind them. If a PPC signs the pledge, we release the children. If they don't, then the photo opportunity for the invited media will be a candidate and imprisoned children. You will then have your opportunity to hear their answers on this issue, and many others, at the hustings that evening at Methodist Central Hall at 7.30 p.m.

Now is the time to step up and be counted. Can you come and bring as many of your church with you? Can you bring your children along as well?

In the 19th century the UK faced the choice over whether or not to abolish slavery.

There were many arguments put up about how hard it would be for this country to stop it and how practical it really was.

But at each step the point was made - "It is just wrong".

In the 21st century the UK faces the choice over whether or not to abolish the imprisonment of innocent children.

There are many arguments now being made about hard it would be for this country to stop it and how practical it really is.

We are now at a step when the point needs to be made - "It is just wrong".

The UK imprisons more than 1,000 innocent children every year

As part of the UK's asylum policy we are content to imprison whole families who are seeking sanctuary from brutal regimes around the world. Within those families are children who have done no wrong. Now is the time to say that we need another way. Research shows how badly affected these children are by their experience of confinement. And we lock up more than 1,000 children every year.

There are arguments about how hard it would be to stop it. But - "It is just wrong".

Plymouth Citizens for Sanctuary - along with similar groups around the UK have realised the forthcoming election gives a real opportunity to get that message across and to hold prospective Parliamentary Candidates to account by asking them, before they may be elected, to support moves to end the UK's policy of imprisoning children.

That is why this e-mail has been sent to you. We believe we can stop this if we stand together this time. Now is the time to effect this change.

We have now contacted the three main prospective Parliamentary candidates for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport - three times. Only one has responded and is thinking about agreeing to sign the Sanctuary Pledge. The other two have not even had the decency to acknowledge three letters. We won't say who we haven't heard from yet, but not replying to a potential constituent doesn't bode well for their representative mindset, let alone their ability to take the right moral choices.

You may have supported the mass action we did for our sanctuary seeking friends in the city last November when the Borders Agency took notice and changed their reporting requirement for many to ease the tension within the sanctuary community.

We do hope that all our prospective Parliamentary candidates, on the issue of imprisoning innocent children, will agree that "it is just wrong" and will engage with the issue seriously and sign the Sanctuary Pledge.

If you want to read the Sanctuary Pledge, you can do so on www.sanctuarypledge.org.uk

Thanks.

Revd Tim Smith
St Jude's Plymouth
on behalf of Plymouth Citizens for Sanctuary