Funeral of refugee activist Viraj Mendis to draw mourners from all over Europe

Mendis’s case hit the headlines after he sought and was granted sanctuary in the Ascension church in Hulme. Photograph: Ascension church Hulme

Refugees and human rights activists are making their way to Bremen in north-west Germany for the funeral of a man who fought for freedom and safety for asylum seekers.

Viraj Mendis came to prominence after seeking sanctuary in a Manchester church where he spent two years in the 1980s. He died aged 68 on 16 August in Bremen, which offered him sanctuary after he was deported from the UK.