This morning I woke up and did something I have never done before.
I wrote to the Secretary of State.
Here is why.

St Anselm was a well-known medieval pastor, bishop and saint in Catholic history. He was reknowned for his amazing teaching and theological thought which had a huge impact in many lands, not just here in Britain.

I recieved an urgent prayer request yesterday from a friend in France asking me to pray for a Christian saint of the same name. Anselme Noumbiwa is an asylum seeker from Cameroon currently living in England. The 32 year old was arrested yesterday for deportation back to his country on 21st April.

Just for background, this is his story, quoted from an article by Bishop Tom Wright, (Bishop of Durham) last year:
“Anselme’s father was chief of the Bamileke. When he died, Anselme was chosen as chief, and taken away for initiation ceremonies. These involved having sex with several of his father’s wives, and taking further wives. Anselme, a devout Christian, refused. He was thereupon degraded and tortured. The Bamileke need a chief to embody their wellbeing; but, if Anselme will not comply with their traditions, another chief cannot be named until he is dead. There is no chance of him being safe in Cameroon. Anselme escaped to England in 2006, and has been trying to make a new life. But in October he was seized for deportation via Paris. Fortunately, the other aircraft passengers, seeing his appalling treatment, refused to sit down, so he was returned to England.” (you can read the remainder of this article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6188539.ece)

Its now a year on, and the nightmare is continuing for Anselme. He has been waiting for a report from the Medical Foundation to back up his claim to legitimate asylum, but as this has been frustratingly slow in coming through, he has now been arrested.

I felt strongly that I should pray, along with others around the world, that Anselme gets permanent residence here in the UK. God can and does do miracles – his return to his home church in Stockton in October 2008 was amazing. But he now needs a lasting solution.

Like his namesake, Anselme has sought safety on our shores. I have a sense that his life has great Heavenly purpose. Tom Wright described him as a ‘gentle, wise soul.’ Please join with me today in praying for his release and for him to be allowed permanent sanctuary here in the UK.

You might like to use these simple words:

Father, thank you for the life of this amazing man, who humbles me with his beautiful faith expressed in adversity and personal danger. Please will you work a miracle today in the people and processes that hold him captive. Release him in Your way and Your time to share his story and to tell Yours.
For Your name’s sake
Amen

If you feel led to do as I did and contact Alan Johnson, details and a suggested letter follow.

You can sign the online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/anselme/index.html

Alan Johnson, MP , Secretary of State for the Home Office, The Home Office 2 Marsham St London SW1 4DF Fax: 020 8760 3132 Email: Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk, UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk , CITTO@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Dear Alan Johnson,

Re: Anselme Noumbiwa HO Ref: N1126839

Anselme Noumbiwa, a Cameroon national, is currently detained in Colnbrook IRC and, I fear, to be forcibly removed from the UK to Cameroon on a charter flight on 21 April 2010.

Anselme Noumbiwa fled Cameroon in 2006 because he was at risk of punishment for not adhering to the tribal traditions of the Bamileke people. As the son and heir to the tribal Chief, Anselme was expected to assume his father’s role, which included ‘marrying’ his many wives. When his father died in May 2006, Anselme refused to become the new Chief because polygamy contravened his Christian beliefs. In an attempt to force Anselme to comply with tradition, the village elders subjected him to the most degrading and terrifying torture.

Anselme’s application for asylum was refused and the Immigration Judge who heard his appeal rejected the account of his experiences despite compelling evidence in the form of a newspaper account of his ordeal in L’Effort Camerounais, the newspaper of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference in Cameroon. Anselme has since substantiated his evidence by providing an official letter from the Editor of L’Effort testifying to the veracity of the article and the integrity of the newspaper and a letter from Amnesty International. He has also produced a medico-legal report commissioned by the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture documenting his trauma and a report on Bamileke traditions, which is consistent with his story of abuse.

The Home Office argued that the doctor who wrote the last report did not work for Medical Foundation for the Care of Torture Victims and a new report was commissioned. The new report has not yet been finalized and has not yet been submitted to the Home Office for consideration. Any delay is clearly through no fault of Anselme’s. It would be assumed that if the Home Office had concerns about the timescale they would liaise with Anselme legal representative. However they appear to have disregarded any procedural formalities and preferred instead to arrest, detain and re-traumatise Anselme.

We ask you to ensure that Anselme Noumbiwa remains in the UK until the report is finalized and has been carefully considered by the Home Office.

Anselme has lived in Tees Valley since July 2006. He attends St Mary’s RC Church, is active in the local community and was studying English at Stockton Riverside College. He has been in regular attendance at Portrack Baptist Church, Stockton over the past 2 years and retains very good links with RC and Anglican churches and beyond. He is an integral member of the church community and regularly attends the Sunday afternoon French-speaking Mustard Seed Church and the weekly DROP-INs. Anselme also cleans the church on a regular basis.

Anselme has many friends and supporters, including the Bishop of Durham, who are outraged at the unjust and inhumane manner in which Home Office officials have treated Anselme’s case.

There is also concern that the Home Office is returning vulnerable people to Cameroon when the documented experiences of those previously removed demonstrate that they have been subjected to further abuse by the authorities. Anselme’s removal directions for the Charter Flight on 21st April 2010 shows a callous disregard for the Human Rights of the individuals scheduled to fly. It is regrettable that an airline should co-operate in the forced removal of such individuals to danger.

Many people have signed an online petition in support of Anselme

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/anselme/index.html

and he has over 400 supporters on the social networking site Twitter.

Yours sincerely,