Don't be a stranger

Name
Rev David de Verney

Place of residence

Hull

Country of origin

France

Occupation

Anglican Chaplain to the University of Hull

The Rev Dr David de Verney is the former Boston-based Chaplain to migrant workers in the diocese of Lincoln. Currently Anglican Chaplain to the University of Hull, he first became involved in working with migrants when, as a Primary school teacher, he noticed that Migrant children in schools were not supported in their English skills and their families were not supported in other areas. The Diocese of Lincoln and Churches Together in Lincolnshire appointed him as chaplain to Migrants. He believes passionately that Christians must take action on injustice. 

"We need to ensure that people are treated equally and that we foster a diverse society.

I do this as a priest and as a Christian and I expect all other Christians to do the same. 

There are horrendous stories that happen right outside our doors. Anyone who eats a ready-made meal or fruit and veg from the supermarket should think of the migrant workers who have picked and packaged these for very little money. Not only do they earn minimum wage but sometimes they don't see any of that wage at all. I have known many people who live off £40 a week. We accept all of this because we live cheaply off it. The cost of it we don’t want to know. It’s a little like how we treat animals.

We want to have cheap chicken, but we don't care what their life is like in these big batteries. We don't care about migrant workers either. We don't want to know because it will disturb our way of life and our way of thinking and we don't want that. We are lethargic.

We need more people to go out and work with migrant workers. They need champions. We don’t have any national, well known figures that speak out on behalf of migrant workers.

And that is where I think the churches must lead, otherwise we betray Jesus.

About a third of migrants settle… But the majority plan on going home, not only because of family and loved ones back home, but because there is a limit to how much racial discrimination, verbal abuse, physical abuse and exploitation by gang masters a person can take. Who would put up with that for long? Nobody. And rightly so.

All churches, all denominations all faith groups could do much more to make migrant workers feel welcome.

Christians need to stand up more and speak up for the rights of others."