The Ogunwobi family has lived in Britain for many years. Sunday came as a student in 1981, his future wife, Bunmi, in 1984. They met and married in 1986. Their children Debbie, Tunde and Phoebe were all born and attended school here. They know no other way of life. In 1981, the Government passed a deportation order against the family and ordered its immediate removal to Nigeria.
The family discussed the situation with friends at the local church and decided not to accept this injustice but to challenge the decision by openly defying the order to leave. On 15th March, 1994, the day before the deportation order came into effect, Sunday Ogunwobi went into sanctuary at Downs Baptist Church in Hackney. Soon afterwards he was joined by his wife and children. They have been living at the church ever since.
Sanctuary is not hiding. The authorities have been kept informed of the family's whereabouts at all times. Sanctuary has no basis in law - its legality was removed by a 1623 act. At any time the family can be removed by Immigration and Nationality officers. However, sanctuary has always had a moral basis. Its essence lies not in legal argument about the sanctity of any church building, but in providing a moral challenge to the ability of any governmental power to persecute the powerless. The Downs Baptist Church sanctuary has provided the Ogunwobi family with a place of limited safety from where they can argue the justice of their case.
It has not been easy for the family. They live in two small rooms at the church. The pastor has given up his office so the family can have a sitting room and they sleep in a cold, dimly lit room previously used for storage. The children are collected by a family friend and taken to school. While the youngest, Phoebe, has spent most of her life at the church, the two older children find it hard to understand why they are forced to live this way.
A campaign has been formed to support the family. Local and national churches have offered tremendous support, encouragement and financial assistance. Individual members of the Labour Party and other political organisations have also been involved. The local council unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Government to allow the family to stay and Early Day Motions have been tabled by the family's MP, Diane Abbott, supported by more than one hundred MPs of all parties. International support has come from the World Council of Churches, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Despite this and the possible effect on the children's health of moving to Nigeria, the Government seems to have set its face against any reprieve.
Downs Baptist Church has become a centre of activity, supporting not only the Ogunwobis but also others in Hackney facing deportation. When Sunday went into sanctuary in 1994 his was the only public anti-deportation campaign in the area. Now there are at least four others and there have been successful campaigns for Mircea Ilin and Rabi Islam. The Ogunwobi campaign is now the longest running sanctuary in modern British history.
In May 1995, the National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns held its founding conference at Downs Baptist Church, and last month the national launch of One World Week was held at the church. While the Ogunwobis have not yet won their struggle they remain an inspiration for others in similar circumstances.
Despite their hardships, the Ogunwobis remain in good spirits, with many good friends and a strong Christian faith. As the sanctuary passes its thousandth day, they remain convinced of the justice of their case and determined to continue their struggle.
