We the undersigned, as people of faith, community representatives and concerned citizens, wish to raise objections about the proposal to temporarily accommodate 200 people seeking asylum on a site in Bedfordshire. We seek assurance that the wellbeing and human dignity of the proposed residents will be at the forefront of the decision-making process.
The location of the proposed site is adjacent to Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre. We know that many of the intended residents will have experienced significant difficulties and trauma prior to their arrival. The proximity of this site to a centre used for detention could compound this suffering, and cause feelings of anxiety among residents seeking asylum. Furthermore, we are deeply concerned that vulnerable individuals will be housed at a location which is some distance from urban centres, significantly impacting their access to local services and community support. The proposed accommodation will consist of prefabricated style buildings, raising questions about the health and mental well-being of the residents, including risks associated with COVID19.
We seek responses to the following questions from the Home Office and their contractor Serco Group PLC:
- Have other more suitable options been exhausted, including hotel accommodation or other options closer to an urban centre such as Bedford or Luton?
- How will you ensure that the physical and mental wellbeing of the proposed residents will be safeguarded?
- Have the requisite social and environmental risk assessments been carried out?
- Will local organisations be given adequate access to offer support in a COVID secure manner?
- Will residents have adequate access to local institutions which can support their wellbeing, including places of worship?
- Has the process of developing this site been conducted in a transparent manner with the full support of the local authorities?
We seek transparent answers to these questions, and the assurance that nobody will be housed on this site until these matters have been given full consideration, so that we and the communities we represent can extend the compassion, welcome and support that all human beings, with inherent worth and dignity, deserve
Add your name to this letter here.
Full name | Organisation | Role |
Rehana Faisal | Lantern | Chair |
The Rev’d Luke Larner | Red Letter Christians UK | Chaplain |
Faisal Hussain | Luton Sunni Council of Mosques | General Secretary |
Imam Muhammad Rayhan | Luton Council of Mosques | General Secretary |
Sufian Sadiq | Discover Islam | Chairman |
Tony Thompson | Hope Church Luton | Leader |
Peter Adams | St Marys Centre for Peace and Reconciliation | Director |
Lucie Shuker | City Life Church Luton | Church Leader |
Attiq Malik | Liberty Law Solicitors | Lawyer & Human Rights Activist |
Henry Cross | Rock And Redeemer Vineyard Church | Pastor |
The Rev’d Tony Rindl | St. Mary’s Watford, Three Rivers Refugee Partnership | Vicar |
Dr Fatima Rajina | Stephen Lawrence Research Centre | Legacy in Action Research Fellow |
Revd Cassandra Howes | Bedford Council of Faiths | Chair |
T Kalyan | Bhagwan Valmik Temple Bedford | President |
Rev’d Peter R. Kay | Benefice of Milton Ernest, Pavenham & Thurleigh | Priest-In-Charge |
Jane Godley TSSF | The Third Order of the Society of Saint Francis, Bedford Group | Convenor |
The Revd Canon Kevin Goss | St Pauls Church, Bedford, and Member of the General Synod of the Church of England | Vicar |
Rev. Andrew Hollins | North Bedfordshire Methodist Circuit / Churches Together Bedfordshire | Superintendent Minister / Chair |
Marc James | Three Rivers Church Bedford | Elder |
Dr. Virendra Soni | Bedford Council of Faiths | Vice Chair |
Rev. Marcus Ottaviani | St Mary’s Goldington | Assistant Curate |
Taj Ali | Freelance Journalist | |
Sanjeev Kumar | Shri Guru Ravidass Sangat Luton | General Secretary |
Rajiv Sidhu | ||
Zafar Khan | Luton Council of Faiths | Chair |
Gulie Butcher | Luton Council of Faiths | Co-chair |
David Jonathon | Luton Council of Faiths | Director |
Ramnik Gohil | Luton Council of Faiths | Trustee |
Kishore Kaler | Luton Council of Faiths | Treasurer |
Ryad Khodabocus | Luton Council of Faiths | Head of Community Relations & Development |
Ray Gaston | Church of St Chad and St Mark | Vicar |
The Rev’d Ray Gaston | Church of St Chad and St Mark, Parish of Central Wolverhampton | Vicar |
Revd Robb Sutherland | Vicar | |
Naomi Bennett | Red Letter Christians UK | Co-Executive Director (CEO) |
Charlotte Gibson | The Women’s Theology Network | Co-founder (and Ordained, Church of England) |
Mostaque koyes | Community Interest luton | Chair |
Caroline Weaver | Ther Methodist Church | Minister and Prison Chaplain |
Peter Gerrish | Bedford Council Of Faiths | Secretary |
Revd Caroline Weaver | North Bedford Methodist Circuit | |
Danielle Wilson | Red Letter Christians UK & Inclusive Gathering Birmingham | Co-CEO, Methodist Pioneer Lay Minister |
Jennifer Shirley Taylor | ||
Wendi Momen | Northill Baha’is, Bedfordshire | |
Debbie Clark | ||
Debbie Clark | ||
Ali wilson | ||
Michael Kane | Church of the Nazarene / Nazarene Theological College | Pastor / Chaplain |
Susan Lennon | ||
Revd. Sophie Cowan | Priest | |
J Huntley | ||
Tim Ferguson | ||
Tim Ferguson | ||
Sujel Miah | Bangladesh Youth League | Trustee |
Melissa Llewellyn | The Courtney Foundation | Trustee |
Charlotte Gibson | The Women’s Theology Network | Co-founder (and Ordained, Church of England) |
The Rev’d Jarel Robinson-Brown | King’s College London | Associate Chaplain |
Rev. Ian Rutherford | Methodist Central Hall, Manchester | City Centre Minister |
Mostaque koyes | Community Interest luton | Chair |
Jack Belloli | Ripon College Cuddesdon / Diocese of Ely | Ordinand in the Church of England |
Rev. Jon Price | Assistant Curate |