Vigil for Border Crossing Victims Challenges Home Office ‘Propaganda of Fear’

Interfaith Vigil Honors Migrant Lives Lost at European Borders

A coalition of religious groups gathered outside the Home Office in London on January 19 for a solemn prayer vigil commemorating migrants who have perished while attempting to cross European borders.

Representatives from the Catholic Worker, the Faithful Companions of Jesus, and Westminster Justice and Peace assembled to publicly mourn those who lost their lives seeking refuge in Europe. The monthly vigil has become a regular ritual of remembrance and protest against current immigration policies.

“Every month we read a list of those killed at European borders outside the Home Office as part of a prayer service,” a London Catholic Worker spokesperson told The Tablet. “We hope that by this act of public mourning we help to oppose the dehumanisation of migrants by the British state, conscious of the Gospel imperative to welcome the stranger.”

The visual centerpiece of the gathering was a poignant icon depicting Jesus behind barbed wire, accompanied by signs bearing messages like “One person drowning is a tragedy. One thousand people drowning is foreign policy” and a biblical reference from Matthew 25:43: “I was a stranger and you did not welcome me.”

Fr. Joe Ryan of Westminster Diocese delivered a reflection emphasizing the humanitarian crisis facing migrants and refugees. “We are gathered here once again outside the Home Office to remember all those who have lost their lives at sea or on land while seeking a safer and better life,” he said. “Those who are leaving their home territories are uprooted because of war, violence, hunger and danger to their lives and family.”

The timing of the vigil comes amid escalating global tensions and conflicts that continue to displace vulnerable populations worldwide. Fr. Ryan noted that most migrants don’t choose to leave their homes willingly, but are forced to flee due to untenable circumstances.

“Most people do not want to leave their home if they can avoid it. We are here today because we believe that every human being should have the dignity of a home, shelter, food and security,” he continued.

In his address, Fr. Ryan referenced Pope Leo XIV’s call for an “unarmed and disarming peace,” contrasting this vision with the current global climate of military escalation and hostility toward migrants. “What a challenge at a time when the build-up of arms and defence against so-called enemies are at a high!” he remarked.

The vigil served not only as a memorial but also as a direct appeal to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and the UK government to reconsider immigration policies that participants view as inhumane. “We say to the Home Office, to Shabana Mahmood and all her staff: a Home Office – a home – is a place of welcome, of security, of acceptance and belonging, a place of refuge and shelter, a harbour and a sanctuary – that’s what a real home is about,” organizers declared.

Fr. Ryan’s reflection expanded on the concept of building “houses of peace” that transcend boundaries and foster dialogue. “A house of peace is a place where hostility is defused through dialogue; where justice is practised and where forgiveness is cherished,” he said, adding that such environments enable people “to listen with respect to seek common ground; to work together on the problems at the heart of violence; to build bridges across what seem like impossible divides.”

The vigil takes place against a backdrop of ongoing debates over UK immigration policy and broader European approaches to migration. In recent years, thousands of migrants have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean or navigate dangerous land routes to reach Europe.

For the faith groups involved, these monthly gatherings represent a commitment to keeping the human cost of border policies visible and advocating for more compassionate approaches to migration. As Fr. Ryan concluded, their vision is grounded in “a courageous insistence that peace, grounded on Gospel nonviolence, remains possible.”