Suzanne Fletcher's Blog

I read in the Church Times the follow up of the story last week of how asylum seeker Elizabeth was snatched from the vicarage in Darlington where she was sheltering with her 2 small children.  It was 7.15 in the morning, they threatened her in front of her children to handcuff her as she could not think what clothes to put on (could you have ?).  A child was hysterical.  The Borders Agency, there were 8 of them, insisted on searching all 7 rooms in the vicarage, as they had a warrant.  Elizabeth was taken off in one van whilst her terrified children were bundled into a separate vehicle. 

This week's account tells how all of this was witnessed by 3 vicars who have provided written evidence.  Will Government now listen to what barbaric ways their officials are doing their work ?  will they continue to think it is just a few paranoid individuals who are making the complaints ?  Thankfully the Children's Commission for England, Professor Aynsley-Green has called for an investigation for what is not a one off occasion, but is happening all the time in our so called domcratic and civilised country.  If the officials behave like that in front of clergy in a vicarage, what is it like where there is nobody to witness ?