Huppert signs Sanctuary Pledge for fairer deal for families (Cambridge Liberal Democrats)

Cambridge Liberal Democrats <camlibdems@gmail.com>

Huppert signs Sanctuary Pledge for fairer deal for families

April 9, 2010 12:12 PM

Julian Huppert, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Cambridge is backing a campaign to end the detention of children and families in immigration cases.

He has signed the five point Sanctuary Pledge which gives a commitment to promote neighbourliness between communities and safeguard the long-term future of Britain as a place of sanctuary.

The Sanctuary Pledge is backed by the CITIZENS for Sanctuary group, an alliance of faith and community leaders including across Cambridge, Dr Janet Bottoms at Emmanuel United Reform Church and Homerton College, Sister Pat Robb, a member of St Laurence's Roman Catholic Church in Arbury and experienced refugee worker, Dr Anna Rowlands, an affiliated lecturer at Cambridge University and member of the Cambridge Theological Federation.

More than 4,000 people are represented along with Bahram Firouzi, a former detainee at Oakington Immigration Centre and Lautaro Vargas, a business journalist whose family sought sanctuary in the UK in the 1970s.

Julian said: "It is vital that people fleeing persecution or danger in their own countries should feel they can come to Cambridge and Britain generally and be treated with dignity.

"Locking up children and families is not the way to treat these people. It is a poor reflection of our country and we should be doing our utmost to change this situation.

"I am delighted to be given the opportunity to sign the Sanctuary Pledge and make my commitment to this campaign to promote understanding and acceptance throughout our communities."

Dr Anna Rowlands, chair of the CITIZENS for Sanctuary delegation said, "I felt moved to pursue this campaign because I think it is vital that we hold politicians to account on something that my church and I care about so strongly. It's a scandal that 1,000 children are detained every year for the administrative convenience of the Home Office. This is why we, as citizens, are doing something about it."

Dr Janet Bottoms said "I am so proud of our work as local citizens and the commitment from our MP to sign the Sanctuary Pledge . Our CITIZENS for Sanctuary delegation is looking forward to meeting the winning candidate after the election and holding them to account."