It seems that everything in recent months has been wholly overshadowed by the death of an innocent family as they attempted to seek safety in the UK. Rasul Irannejad, Shiva Mohammad Panah, Anita,9, Armin, 6, and Artin, 15 months. Last month, JRS held a moving vigil for them, holding their names in prayer. How many more candles will be lit before the year is out?
The Institute of Race Relations published a report last week which documented 294 deaths of people attempting to cross the Channel via the tunnel or by boat.
294 lives. 36 of these, children.
But migrants’ journeys do not begin on dinghies. They start many years earlier, sometimes many decades. Those who survive the desert crossings, the camps in Libya, the Mediterranean crossing, the Channel crossing, those that reach sanctuary and are fortunate enough to be granted refugee status still continue their journey; the longing, the separation, the loss, the exile, the marginalisation, it is all of colossal cost to humans across the world. That part of the journey is without end.
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In response, our Government has not sought to prevent any further tragedy by championing safe and legal routes for those seeking sanctuary to come to the UK, but have focused on laying blame at the feet of traffickers. Yet the Home Office’s wearying, confected disgust at smugglers being the cause of Channel deaths only compounds these tragedies.
At times like these, I feel like giving up; my resolve has weakened. And so I turn to music. I thought maybe, if you share my plunging despair, you will be lifted by the phenomenal voice of ‘La Negra’.
Mercedes Sosa was a folk singer and political activist, exiled from Argentina, who failed to thrive in exile and many of her songs allude to this loss of her homeland. She was arrested while on stage by the military junta and detained. She paid a fine to secure her release and fled Argentina, living later in Madrid and Paris. Whenever I read accounts such as these I am always reminded of the cases I have represented, and I hear the Home Office echoing in my head, how they would have responded if presented by Sosa’s claim for protection:
“Ms Sosa, they arrested you and released you, the military junta therefore have no further interest in you. You have not established that your life is in danger. Why would they release you simply for paying a fine? It is considered that you can pay subsequent fines to secure further release. You have produced no evidence to show you will be ‘disappeared’ and are wanted by the authorities given your immediate release and you have shown no evidence of the authorities’ further interest in you. It is considered that you could cease singing protest songs to avoid further detection” ….and so on.
Fortunately, Mercedes Sosa was not disappeared and she returned from exile in 1982 continuing to sing until her death in October 2009. Solo Le Pido a Dios (All I ask of God) has an enduring beauty and I chose it hoping it will carry you through these dark days.
You can listen here and follow along with the lyrics written out below.
All that I ask of God
All that I ask of God
Is that I am not indifferent to suffering
That death won’t find me
Alone and empty, not having done enough
.
All that I ask of God
Is that I am not indifferent to injustice
That they won’t slap the other cheek
And make me feel like i am in the claws of fate
All that I ask of God
Is that I am not indifferent to war
It is a huge monster, that tramples heavily
On the poor innocent people
It is a huge monster, that tramples heavily
On the poor innocent people
All that I ask of God
Is that I am not indifferent to corruption
The traitors may be few,
but those of us left have to ensure we shan’t forget
All that I ask of God
Is that I am not indifferent to the future
We are left as husks, those of us who are forced to flee
To adopt a different culture
All that I ask of God
Is that I am not indifferent to war
It is a huge monster, that tramples heavily
On the poor innocent people
It is a huge monster, that tramples heavily
On the poor innocent people
ORIGINAL SPANISH:
Solo le pido a Dios
Que el dolor no me sea indiferente
Que la reseca, muerte no me encuentre
Vacía y sola sin haber hecho lo suficiente
Solo le pido a Dios
Que lo injusto no me sea indiferente
Que no me abofeteen la otra mejilla
Después que una garra me arañó esta suerte
Solo le pido a Dios
Que la guerra no me sea indiferente
Es un monstruo grande y pisa fuerte
Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
Es un monstruo grande y pisa fuerte
Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
Solo le pido a Dios
Que el engaño no me sea indiferente
Si un traidor puede más que unos cuantos
Que esos cuantos no lo olviden fácilmente
Solo le pido a Dios
Que el futuro no me sea indiferente
Desahuciado está el que tiene que marchar
A vivir una cultura diferente
Solo le pido a Dios
Que la guerra no me sea indiferente
Es un monstruo grande y pisa fuerte
Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
Es un monstruo grande y pisa fuerte
Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
Mercedes Sosa was famed for giving a voice to the voiceless and championing the rights of the poor. It is right to be reminded that we all need to put our shoulder to the wheel, united, to fight for the poor and marginalised and those fleeing wars, persecution, injustice. And so too, at JRS UK we continue, in spite of the pandemic frustrating much of our face-to-face work, to accompany, serve and advocate for those in detention and in our community. We continue to house the vulnerable and run their complex legal cases; showing, through our work, we are not indifferent and we maintain the battle to fight injustice, war and pain.
It is all still worth striving for. Together we can make a difference. Onwards.
Naomi Blackwell is Detention Outreach Manager at JRS UK. Each week she accompanies the men detained at Colnbrook & Harmondsworth IRCs near Heathrow.
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