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Welcoming those less fortunate

By His Grace Bishop Angaelos,
General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom

Until now, the Middle East crisis has been contained in that part of the world, and has, for some, become somewhat of a distant reality. If we have occasionally been moved by what we have seen or heard in reports, we have also had the relative comfort of being several steps removed from the situation. Now however, we are witnessing the movement of tens of thousands of desperate people fleeing that crisis and approaching the shores of Europe to seek refuge, and so the issue has become much more immediate and closer to home.

I have recently visited both refugee camps in Erbil and transit camps on the Greek-Macedonian (FYROM) border at Idomeni, and have therefore seen this humanitarian tragedy from both sides. This has provided an invaluable opportunity to personally meet and speak with many humanitarian aid workers and volunteers, as well as those in camps, and those making the dangerous journey. It has also further reinforced my view that this is a humanitarian crisis of a scale unseen since the Second World War, and that it can only be satisfactorily addressed, let alone resolved, through collaboration among and between states, NGOs and religious institutions.

During my visit to Idomeni it was painful to hear a young Syrian man say “…in Syria we are now used to quick deaths that come with bombs or shootings, but what we are experiencing in these journeys is a slow death.” The fact that these refugees willingly travel, sometimes with their children, in what they themselves call ‘death boats’ is proof of the desperate situations they are fleeing, and their struggle should not be belittled.

Along these journeys, vulnerable refugees, many of whom are children and minors, become easy prey for trafficking and organised crime gangs that exploit this vulnerability in a way that shames our humanity. We must therefore not close our ears to the cries of those who flee the horrors of their day-to-day existence in war-torn homelands to face even more horrific journeys. As more borders close, refugees who have already sacrificed almost everything will still find alternate routes because they have nothing to lose. In anticipation, we must collaborate to formulate a coherent and humane response and continue to protect those in greatest need while recognising and preserving their dignity.

As the United Kingdom prepares to welcome refugees from camps bordering Syria under the Government’s Vulnerable People Relocation Scheme (VPRS), it is imperative that we look at the whole issue of asylum with renewed insight. Until now, refugees have been considered by many as a potential burden and/or threat on and to our communities, and an additional drain on our economy. Looking with humane eyes however, we must realise that the majority of these vulnerable individuals have experienced immense suffering and loss and have not wanted to, but have been compelled to, leave their countries, communities, and all they have behind. Many have even more tragically also lost loved ones in this ongoing conflict.

The Prime Minister’s initiative to accept 20,000 refugees from camps bordering Syria over the next five years is welcomed, as it will indeed make a significant difference to those people and their families. While this is a start to solving a problem that is now of immense magnitude, we are also hopeful that these numbers will be revisited over time, and increased when possible to accommodate the ever-increasing flow of people fleeing conflict, war and persecution. As we see people come into the United Kingdom under this scheme or others, it is worth considering our outlook on the overall situation.

I was moved by the call of a senior figure within UNHCR Greece during my recent visit, who challenged us as Church leaders to make the teaching of Matthew 25 manifest: “Come, you blessed of My Father… for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I wasnaked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” This commandment is timeless and without exception, it applies today just as much as it did 2000 years ago when our Lord Jesus Christ Himself sought refuge in Egypt, fleeing adversity (Matthew 2:13).

As we do our utmost to serve those in great need, we pray for the millions currently displaced, those currently in refugee camps, and others who have embarked on treacherous journeys fleeing war and conflict; we also pray for policy makers, aid workers and volunteers who are dealing with this complex situation first-hand.

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Find out more about His Grace’s visit to Greece via CTBI.org.uk

View the statement via our Media and Communications office www.CopticMediaUK.com or read below:

Statement on the refugee crisis in Europe

By His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church
in the United Kingdom

4 September 2015

Having seen heartbreaking images of the lifeless and abandoned body of young Aylan Kurdi lying alone on a beach in Turkey puts an all too gruesome optic to a matter either in the forefront or background of every mind over the past months. The images we have now become too accustomed to seeing may have desensitised some, but the horrific reality of the situation remains; thousands of people continue to risk all, even their lives, to seek the safety that we are thankfully free to live on a daily basis.

Whether it is Aylan, his family, or the countless thousands of others making the treacherous journey to flee conflict and find a better life, we must now realise that the solution to this crisis is greater than for individual Churches, religions, communities, or even states to address alone, and so a more universal, integrated and collaborative approach to make the best of limited human and material resources, must be sought.

The Church of Egypt is no stranger to the issue of asylum as it was Egypt that accepted and embraced the infant Christ and His family as refugees when they fled targeted and intentional persecution. It is indeed telling that while the world has apparently progressed over millennia since then, the problems and challenges remain the same.

As a Church with its roots in the Middle East we are very aware of the struggles faced by people in the region, Christians and others. It is essential that the plight of these refugees is not belittled or ignored, as they face very real challenges in their homelands, living with a daily threat to their livelihood and even existence.

At a time of increasing economic pressure in Europe and a greater fear of importing radical elements seeking to destabilise our communities, it is understandable that caution must be exercised. Having said that however, that caution should not mean a blanket rejection of the vast majority of those coming who are genuinely seeking safety for themselves and their families. What is concerning is abrasive rhetoric in the media and public sphere, leading to the constant dehumanisation of people who are undoubtedly victims of this conflict, to the extent that many now see them simply as an impending risk to their communities, putting aside their basic rights and needs. What we must realise is that many of these people, indigenous to their homelands, are not fleeing out of choice or preference but out of sheer necessity.

This is undoubtedly an extremely complex issue that involves geo-politics, global economics, European economies and borders, state and regional security, as well as an increasingly volatile Middle East, but as I have mentioned previously, we must not be prescriptive to people living in crisis on whether or not they should stay and fight in their war-torn countries, or flee for their lives. Whatever their choices may be, we must advocate to either safeguard their continued presence or provide an alternative if they cease to see a viable continuity in their homelands.

It is encouraging, that over the past few days there has been a greater intention and appetite for a pragmatic and compassionate response to this increasing refugee crisis in seeking practical solutions whatever they may be.

The Scriptures are timeless in their direction, and when the Lord God instructs His people to care for the widow, orphan, traveller and stranger (Deuteronomy 10:18) that was not meant exclusively for His immediate audience alone, but to the whole of humanity over time.

These challenging events remind us of the brokenness of our humanity, but as Christians we also recognise the ability of God to heal that brokenness. For that reason, we pray confidently for solutions in the homelands of those fleeing, the countries that may extend whatever hospitality they can, and above all, safety for many who make these dangerous journeys out of sheer desperation.

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