This is the personal testimony of Sunday from Nigeria. Sunday is in a detention centre in Malta. A representative of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees put SYMAAG in touch with Sunday. We had intended to read it out on the Don’t Let Them Drown demonstration in Sheffield on March 17th but Sunday – for understandable reasons – wasn’t able to send it to us in time.

SYMAAG received this message from Malta on 20/3/15

“My name is Sunday, I am from Nigeria. I came from Libya by boat to Malta. And this journey through the Mediterranean  sea to that part of Europe is a risky journey, and it is not an easy journey. Many people have lost their lives during this journey through the Mediterranean sea to any part of Europe.

In my own case, we spent four days in the Mediterranean sea, but many people spend more days than I did. I am one of the lucky ones who survived this journey  to give my testimony. During this journey many people lost their lives, many were sick and many fainted.

We knew the journey was risky but still we embarked on this journey. But there are things in our countries which make us take this journey. We don’t care what will happen. I am happy today because I am one of the lucky ones who made it. We spent four days in the Mediterranean sea before we got to Malta. Many people have died, some people fainted , we ran out of water and we ran out of food. Also we ran out of petrol. We ran out of everything, we were hopeless in the sea, the wind was just taking us from one point to the other.

We were lucky enough that Malta rescue team came to rescue us. I left my country because of persecution. Many people leave their countries because of this reason.  So I’m speaking in this video to beg European governments, UK government, to please, not to stop their rescue missions, not to stop their funding. Please continue the good work that you have been doing before. Thank you, and please don’t let them drown.”

At the end of the ‘Don’t let Them Drown’ demonstration  a petition was handed to the Home Office at Vulcan House. It called for measures to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean who – unlike Sunday – were not “one of the lucky ones”