A compelling new BBC Local podcast is set to launch, which revisits the extraordinary true story of Viraj Mendis, a Sri Lankan activist who sought sanctuary at the Ascension Church in Hulme, Manchester in 1986 to avoid deportation.
At the heart of the six-part podcast In Detail, Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance is Viraj Mendis’s extraordinary two-year stay inside the Church in Manchester, never once stepping outside, as he faced imminent deportation and feared for his life due to his outspoken support for Tamil rights during Sri Lanka’s civil war.
The series features what is believed to be Mendis’s final long-form interview on the Sanctuary period, offering exclusive insights and reflections that have never been heard before. Central to this story is Father John Methuen, the then-vicar of the church, who courageously risked both his personal reputation and safety of the church to protect Mendis from the authorities.
The podcast is presented by Father Azariah France-Williams, the current rector of Ascension Church.
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Father Azariah said: “It serves as a clear example of an early culture war, involving migration and deportation, heated parliamentary debates, and home office declarations met with protest and dissent. In this story ideology and theology collide. This story contains: activists, artists, priests, poets, academics, and anarchists raising the volume on a key moment in British history. I think it is time to turn up the volume once more”.
In January 1989, police raided the church and deported Mendis to Sri Lanka, where he had warned he would be killed. Though he survived, he continued to campaign for human rights until his death in 2024.
Through interviews, archival material, and personal reflections, the series offers a powerful exploration of faith, activism, and the moral complexities of sanctuary.
Chris Burns, BBC head of audio commissioning said: “The interview with Mendis himself is central to the story, and as you will hear, it’s a story that touched the lives of many people in lots of different ways. I am proud that BBC Local gets to tell his story again.”
In Detail, Sanctuary: An Act of Defiance is a BBC Radio Manchester production for BBC Sounds, with material licensed by Big City Nights and all episodes will be available on BBC Sounds on Tuesday 30 September.
