Hundreds of Christian migrants spend Christmas in SLanka prison

December 28, 2012 - For dozens of Catholic families, this was a Christmas "without joy, peace and sharing" because their husbands and fathers are still in prison in Sri Lanka, some for three months, after they illegally tried to reach Australia and New Zealand in search of a job. Since the men's arrests, few of the families involved (some non-Catholic) have been able to raise the money to pay for bail because most of them are poor. Moreover, the Sri Lanka’s wheels of justice have been turning uselessly as hearings are delayed or postponed without reason. Anthony Dencil is one of those detained. The 47-year-old Catholic man has been in Negombo prison for three months. He did not know he was on an illegal ship on which he was hired as a cook. His wife Deepa Renuka Kumari, a Buddhist, is the only one in the family earning a meagre sum to feed their 3 minor children. Another detained, Jude Anthony considered himself lucky to be released a few days before Christmas after spending six months behind bars. According to the 49-year old Catholic, who has four daughters, "innocent people are being held in prison.” He said grinding poverty pushed them to take such risks.