Wednesday 20 May 2009

Justice & Peace Commission protest against 'Dawn Raids"

The National Chairperson of the Catholic Church's "Justice & Peace Commission" Ellen Charlton has written a strongly worded letter to the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in protest at the recent early morning arrest of a mother and her four year old child and their subsequent transfer to Dungavel Removal Centre.

The raid took place on 14 May and the letter was sent the foloowing day to the Home secretary and copied to; First Minister, Alex Salmond, Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murpohy MP, Tommy Mc Avoy MP, Tom McCabe MSP and Fiona Hyslop MSP.

The text of the letter is shown below.

ENDS

Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
0141 221 1168
07968 122291
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org



Friday, May 15, 2009

Subject: Dawn Raids

Dear Rt Hon Jacqui Smith,

I wish to protest in the strongest possible terms about the arrest of Ms. Felicity Gaye in Glasgow on 14th May and the subsequent incarceration of both this mother and her four year old child in Dungavel Removal Centre pending deportation.

Early morning 'raids' on vulnerable and traumatised families are quite unacceptable in a civilized society and it is a cause for shame to belong to one in which they take place and are condoned.
I ask that you take action on this issue immediately.

 
Yours sincerely,

 
Ellen Charlton
Chairperson
National Commission for Justice and Peace (Scotland)
0141 333 0238
www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk