Europe has an opportunity to grow in mutual solidarity, says the LWF general secretary
The current refugee crisis is “an opportunity for the countries of Europe to grow in mutual solidarity,” said the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation(LWF), the Rev. Dr Martin Junge. The LWF joined Christian organizations around the world in speaking out about the dire situation of migrants and refugees in Europe, calling for a more compassionate and humane approach. The organizations that signed this statement together represent 2.8 billion people, one third of the world’s population.
“Solidarity should be the guiding principle that governs migration and, specifically, the reception of refugees,” the statement says. “We expect the European Union to reject the discourse and policy of fear and deterrence, and to take a principled stance and a compassionate practice, grounded in the core values on which the EU was founded.”
The organizations released this statement ahead of the presentation of the EU Commission’s Migration Pact, which was scheduled for 23 September.
“We are all one, precious human family, in which we have been entrusted to care for one another,” said the acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca.
“The asylum policy of every nation must reflect care and trust as a shared journey, an important responsibility and a universal witness. We have high hopes for the presentation of the EU Commission’s new migration and asylum policy, which will take place on 23 September.”
The general director of ACT Alliance, Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, noted that the tragic fire [at the refugee camp] in Moria “was a painful reminder of the entirely predictable yet preventable consequences of the EU’s asylum-seeker and migration policy, which values the protection of borders above human lives, and gives preference to populism over dignity and humanity. We expect better from Europe and its leaders. It is time to change course.”
The general secretary of the Conference of European Churches, Dr Jørgen Skov Sørensen, said:
“Churches and Christian communities across Europe are observing an alarming situation affecting migrants and refugees in the region, especially following the recent developments at the Moria camp. The human consequences of this situation make us deeply concerned.”
“We call on our member churches and on every believer to devote themselves to prayer and to take on the role of messengers of courage and hope. We must continue and strengthen our common efforts in every possible way, to give hope to the most vulnerable who have found themselves in a hopeless situation,” he said.
A call to work for justice
The general secretary of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), Dr Torsten Moritz, reflected that over recent years and — most tragically of all — in seeing the fire at the Moria camp, we have become witnesses to the dreadful consequences of the EU’s refugee policy. “A policy that tries to hold refugees and migrants at the border, to push them back or to return them [to their home countries] at any cost,” said Moritz. “The new asylum-seeker and migration pact cannot be the same.”
Moritz added that the EU must make a new, honest and courageous start, in which it takes on responsibility rather than denying it.
“This includes the need to create safe means of movement, to offer proper reception and a welcoming society, and to consider how Europe continues to articulate the reasons for migration,” he said.
“The churches continue to be ready to support the EU and its member states, if Europe truly wants such a fresh start.”
The general secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the Rev. Dr Chris Ferguson, said that the situation of those seeking asylum in Greece and elsewhere symptomatically exposes the deeper roots of colonialism and imperialism, which exploited people and resources for their own gain.
“As believers we stand together with the migrant, the refugee, the one who seeks asylum, and we call for hospitality and welcome,” he said.
“We believe that our calling is to continue working toward justice for all the oppressed.”
The Evangelical Church of Greece has been actively involved in the refugee situation since it began and continues to support refugees in many ways. It “urges the ecumenical church, together with the whole international community, to act decisively to ensure that aid and support are provided to Greece, so that it can better meet the needs of the ‘Moria refugees,’ as well as the needs of the local people of the island of Lesbos, by accepting and resettling in their own countries the many refugees who have already been granted asylum-seeker status,” said the Rev. Dimitris Boukis, secretary of the executive committee of the General Synod of the Evangelical Church of Greece.
The president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches in Europe, Martina Wasserloos, expressed her joy at this joint initiative to urge Europe’s leaders to finally take responsibility for human dignity and life.
“As the World Communion of Reformed Churches in Europe, we see the hardships of migrants,” she said.
“We are convinced, and we affirm, that when we encounter refugees, we see the image of God. As churches, we offer help to overcome the crisis in a number of ways, but we also expect favorable and humanitarian solutions from those who have to make the political decisions.”
In the Anglican Communion, people are called to a fivefold mission to “respond to human need with loving service… to transform unjust structures in society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation,” said the general secretary of the Anglican Communion, the Rev. Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon.
“In every place in our world, millions of women, men and children need to feel this faith at work in their lives, as they flee armed conflict and violence and seek refuge from the devastating consequences of poverty and climate,” he said. “This calls for a deliberate, collective response, in which the churches and other communities of faith, including the Anglican Communion, are ready to take their place.”
Leading by personal example
The World Methodist Council has declared radical hospitality and standing up for the “stranger” as its central theme for the period 2016–2021, reflected Bishop Ivan Abrahams, who is the general secretary of that council.
“We continue to work together with everyone, in every place, to stand alongside migrants, refugees and asylum seekers as they share their tears, hopes and dreams of a sustainable life and well-being,” he said.
The general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, the Rev. Dr Martin Junge, believes that this is an opportunity for the countries of Europe to grow in shared solidarity. “They can lead by example, showing how to offer hospitality and protect the stranger, while at the same time fulfilling their international obligations.”
He noted that “one of the LWF’s first tasks, much like the European Union’s, was to respond to the needs of Europe’s refugees after the Second World War. Our member churches around the world stood in solidarity with the millions of people displaced within Europe. At the heart of the LWF’s humanitarian work are multilateral cooperation, mercy and service to displaced people around the world. We must not forget that refugees lose a great deal when they flee, but they never lose their human rights.”
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity offered a reflection on Pope Francis’s statement. “In his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which will be marked in the Catholic Church next Sunday, 27 September (2020), Pope Francis states: ‘Conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, aggravated by climate change, are increasing the number of displaced persons and affecting people who are already in a state of extreme poverty.
Several of the countries experiencing these situations are unable to provide adequate structures to care for the needs of displaced persons.’ He urges state authorities, the churches and all of us to welcome and integrate displaced persons, as well as to protect and assist them. As Christians, we urge the member states of the European Union to develop and implement equal and just solutions aimed at respecting human dignity and human rights.”
The European regional branch of the World Association for Christian Communication also expressed its support for this statement, stressing the need to fight hate speech directed at migrants and refugees, especially on social media.
“Our public discourse, specifically social media and media outlets, must respect human dignity with regard to migrants and refugees,” said the president of the European regional association of the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), Dr Stephen Brown.
“At the same time, media professionals must provide balanced information about migrants and refugees, avoiding stereotypical portrayals and oversimplification.”
The statement was signed by the ACT Alliance, the Anglican Communion, the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, the Conference of European Churches, the European regional branch of the World Association for Christian Communication, the Evangelical Church of Greece, the Integration Center for Migrant Workers – Ecumenical Refugee Program, a non-profit organization of the Church of Greece, the Lutheran World Federation, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the European region of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Council of Churches and the World Methodist Council.
Text of the statement in English
Geneva, Switzerland, 23.09.2020. Source: Lutheran World Federation Information Service