From fences to solidarity: the church’s response to refugees

“Why is Europe putting up high fences?” was a key question at WCRC Europe’s recent conference on asylum and migration. “This is a critical problem facing the region,” said Sabine Dressler of the Reformed Alliance. How should the church respond?

The high fences were discussed both in terms of physical fences and metaphorical fences that are created by governmental policies and cultural indifference.

Chris Ferguson, WCRC general secretary, opened the conference saying, “God didn’t create borders—we did.” Both literal borders and borders of comfort are standing in the way of what Christ has called us to do. As Christ broke down barriers between people, inviting all to the feast, so should the church.

The “problem” is caused by colonization and globalization, as Paolo Naso, national coordinator for “Being Church Together” in Italy, remarked. “The problem of migration and asylum: fences! People get hurt trying to simply cross the border.”

Naso also made sure to note the difference between migrant and refugee. He said, “There is a difference between a migrant and refugee: A migrant has a clear goal or idea. The refugee only knows that she or he has to run away.”

The hope of a better life is stripped away as the walls are erected to provide “safety” and “security,” but only for those who are allowed inside. As Samuel Amedro from the Eglise Evangelique of Morocco stated, “From the dream of Europe to the reality of fences, the border is closed.”

Amedro and Najla Abousawan-Kassab, from the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, were able to provide a non-European perspective on the issue. Kassab said there is no time for dialogue because churches are being attacked by ISIS, and people are being killed and simply trying to survive.

Kassab said, “It’s easy to send money; the most difficult is to be with people in their pain.” But that is what the church is called to do: to be with people. How is this to be done if the border is closed?

For those who are seeking to escape war and terror in their homelands, they come to Europe hoping for a better life, but that is simply not the reality they find.

“We need to be prophetic now,” Amedro said. The church is called to help the least of these, to help those who need it most. As Luke 4:18 says: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

Alfredo Abad, the general secretary of the Iglesia Evangelica Espanola in Spain raised the issue that perhaps it is time for individuals to get out of their comfort zones and into solidarity. Christianity is messy, it causes people to get out of their comfort zones and into the messiness of it all.

There is enough for everybody, but individualism drives people to not want to share, stated Kassab as she reminded all of the parable of the banquet (Luke 14:15-24). “Sometimes we forget it’s a banquet, it’s about what we are called to do,” she said.

Naso reminded attendees that as Christians, the church has a commitment to these people because they are God’s people. As servants to Christ, individuals have to be the servants, going out into the streets bringing in people to feast in the kingdom of God. Yet work still needs to be done.

For example, Dora Kaniszai-Nagy from the Refugee Mission, Reformed Church in Hungary, reported that integration is still a process that needs work. After an asylum seeker gets recognition, s/he can only stay two months in official temporary housing. After two months, they are expected to have learned Hungarian (but there are no teachers, so must learn on their own), move out of the temporary housing, obtain housing on their own and understand daily life in Hungary.

She said that here needs to be a family support system to help, and while this has begun there are not enough teachers, staff members, funding, etc. So not too much has changed, and without government support or help, things will stay as they are.

All presenters agreed that the time is now to make change; however, there is much opposition from governmental policies and a lack of will to change these policies. In the midst of Christian hospitality, in the midst of churches trying to aid migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, there are still structures that are standing against those in need.

Kassab asked, “How committed are we? Until the very end. Until all persons have their dignity.” While the church is struggling against the needs and political regimes, quotas and figures that decide who can stay and who must leave, people must stay committed, for as Christians people are not just to hope and pray, but must act, because Christ did for the least of these.

“She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy” (Proverbs 31:20). May the communities find ways of welcoming the stranger, and continue in dialogue together in hopes of a better future of welcoming.