This article was published first by the International Anglican Family Network

Some years ago, I was shocked to read in the newspaper about a young man, an asylum-seeker, who had sewn his lips together to draw attention to his plight. He lived near me! How could I ignore what was happening on my doorstep? My husband and I got involved as volunteers in a church-run night -shelter for destitute asylum-seekers. I also volunteered as a holiday host for the charity Freedom from Torture, offering week-long holiday- and respite-breaks for asylum-seekers from elsewhere in the UK.