Former professor of agriculture at Damascus University, Ryad Alsous, rekindled his passion for beekeeping with local support in Yorkshire. Photo: © UNHCR/Caroline Brothers
Churches, Church leaders and aid organisations across Britain and Ireland are responding to the refugee crisis calling on their governments to take action, encouraging donations from church members and providing support where possible, often through partner organisations.
Below we list the main initiatives from the churches, plus news relating to refugees and migration.
Updated 24 June 2019
CTBI initiatives
Church of Sanctuary programme
Find out how to become a Church of Sanctuary. Churches should be welcoming places of safety for all and proud to offer sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution. Sanctuary is a long-standing prophetic theme of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and the idea of a Church of Sanctuary has evolved from the City of Sanctuary movement, building cultures of welcome, hospitality and safety. Find out more on the Church of Sanctuary website.
Campaign: right to work for those seeking asylum
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI), through the Churches’ Refugee Network (CRN), has joined a coalition of over 80 non-profit organisations, think tanks, businesses and faith groups in a campaign asking the UK government to give people seeking asylum the right to work. Churches involved include the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Church of Scotland, Methodist Church, Salvation Army and the United Reformed Church (URC).
Facts about refugees leaflet
National Justice and Peace Network, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and Christians Aware have produced a leaflet providing information about refugees including recent facts and figures, links to stories, pointers to what we as Christians can do and follow-up contacts.
Church delegation to Italian refugee projects returns with harrowing stories
Delegates on a CTBI fact-finding trip to Italian refugee projects have returned with distressing accounts of refugees being trafficked, kidnapped and abused on journeys to the Libyan coast.
Find out more about the CTBI visit to Italian refugee projects.
Report from female CTBI delegation to refugees in Greece
Twelve female Church leaders from across Britain and Ireland visited refugee ‘hot spots’ in Greece between 23 and 27 May 2016 to investigate conditions in refugee camps and assess how refugee projects and workers can be supported.
Read their reports, impressions and reflections from Greece on the Focus on Refugees website.
Dedicated website – Focus on Refugees
If you want to keep up-to-date with the refugee crisis in Europe, take a look at the dedicated website from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).
Focus on Refugees covers news, policy, practical action and resources for those in the faith community across the Four Nations. Explore the issues and find out how your church, community or orgainsation could help.
UK church leaders visit Greek-Macedonian border to meet refugees
Senior UK Church leaders and representatives visited Idomeni, on the Greek-Macedonia (FYROM) border, where they met some of the thousands of refugees fleeing conflict. A full report is now available to download.
The group, part of a Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) delegation, also held discussions with local volunteers and activists, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representatives, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Médecins du Monde, and local government officials.
You can also read the Press Release. Photos from the visit can be viewed on Flickr.
Mission, migrants and refugees – theological reflection
This resource from the Mission Theology Advisory Group (MTAG) is intended to stimulate thinking and reflection about what happens in the long term to those people from Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Nigeria and many others fleeing war, violence and persecution, who come to live in the UK and how the Church’s mission is shaped to respond to those to whom we pledge our loving service.
Download Mission, migrants and refugees – theological reflection.
CCME refugee report: Safe Passage
Safe Passage: Advocating for a humane asylum and migration policy in Europe, available for download from the the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) website summarises some of the current concerns of European churches on European Union (EU) asylum and migration policy. It discusses EU policy problems and possible policy alternatives for ‘safe passage’ as supported by churches in Europe.
Community Sponsorship Guide for refugee families
A detailed guide showing how community groups can sponsor and support a refugee family according to the UK Home Office process. It explains the criteria that need to be met such as organisation status, experience, financial commitment, housing, Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, safeguarding, resettlement plan and local authority consent. Download the guide from Focus on Refugees.
Refugee Resource Centre for Churches
A joint venture between the Boaz Trust and Jubilee+, centred on the R2C2 website that ‘seeks to resource Christians and churches to reach out to and support asylum seekers and refugees in their churches and communities with the love and compassion of Christ’.
Welcome Churches
New national charity (September 2017) with a vision for every refugee in the UK to be welcomed by their local church. It aims to help churches support refugees who arrive in the UK and settle them into the community. Its partners include the Methodist Church in Britain. Find out more on the Welcome Churches website.
Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees
A dedicated website for faith groups in Scotland responding to the refugee crisis. It has sections looking at how governments and local authorities are taking action, details of current campaigns, research on the issue of migration, stories from those helping refugees, resources for those of different faiths, plus how we can respond ourselves. Take a look at the Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees website.
Becoming Human Together
A new theological reflection on migration, Becoming Human Together, aimed at Christian ministers, preachers, worship-leaders and those involved in setting and influencing the policy of their churches has been produced by Christian Aid Scotland and Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees. It explores Christian theology from the Reformed tradition as it relates to faith and forced migration. It can be downloaded from the Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees website.
Welcoming asylum seekers and supporting language learning
A guide to welcoming asylum seekers, published by Churches Together in the Merseyside Region, offers practical help for churches and other groups wanting to respond positively to the refugee crisis and aims to bust myths that have emerged. There is also a pamphlet giving support and guidance to faith and community groups who want to support English language learning. Download Welcoming the Stranger and Supporting English Language Learning.
Sponsor Refugees
The Citizens UK Foundation for the Sponsorship of Refugees was established in October 2017 and organises communities to act together to help refugees under the Community Sponsorship scheme. The website provides a guide to all the steps that sponsorship entails with an overview available in English and Welsh.
Safe Passage
Founded in 2015 by a group of lawyers, community organisers and faith leaders, this project of Citizens UK campaigns to find legal and safe ways for refugee children to be reunited with their families. Safe Passage‘s head office is based in London but it also has a presence in France, Italy, Greece and Brussels.
Refugee report from the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT)
Made for goodness: a faithful response to the refugee crisis, published by JPIT in July 2016, explores the history and impact of the current humanitarian crisis. It highlights four specific areas that churches can engage with and campaign on, and includes biblical reflection looking at Christian experiences of movement and migration. Download Made for goodness: a faithful response to the refugee crisis on the JPIT website.
Refugee FAQ from the Joint Public Issues Team
This briefing document from the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) answers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) such as what help has currently been pledged by the UK? Can the nation cope with housing these refugees? Are refugees attracted here because of the generous benefits system? What is being done by charities, churches and agencies in the UK? Plus how can individuals and churches get involved?
Download the Refugee FAQ from the JPIT website.
Church Response for Refugees
Church Response For Refugees is a movement aimed at inspiring, encouraging and equipping churches and communities across the UK to actively welcome and support refugees. Three key areas of its work are community sponsorship, practically serving refugees and raising awareness. Find out more on the Church Response For Refugees website.
Supporting migrants in the UK
This resource for practitioners and groups who want to get involved helping migrants within the UK, produced for Housing Justice, NACCOM and Praxis, looks at models of accommodation and support for migrants with no recourse to public funds. It can be downloaded from the NACCOM website.
CCME on refugee crisis: analysis and what we can do
A series of short videos from 2015 looking at the refugee crisis in Europe from Doris Peschke, general secretary of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME).
Videos include ‘What can we do as individuals?’ and ‘What can we do as churches?’ – Watch CCME refugee videos
News
January 2019
Faith leaders speak out on refugees
December 2018
Christmas statement on refugees and migrants presented to European Parliament
October 2018
Campaign: right to work for those seeking asylum
Conference: Christian Reflections on Europe’s Response to Migration
September 2018
Report: world conference on xenophobia, racism and populist nationalism
Call to help those displaced by crisis and conflict
Petition: safe passage to UK for 10,000 child refugees
Faith leaders call for UK Gov to protect child refugees
August 2018
Church leaders ask Home Secretary to end hostile environment
Course on welcoming the other at Sarum College
June 2018
CCME refugee report: Safe Passage
Free refugee law book for Refugee Week
May 2018
Refugee Week and Sanctuary Sunday
April 2018
Consultation on conversion to Christianity and the impact and challenges for asylum procedures
January 2018
Churches Refugee Network (CRN) Conference
November 2017
Join faith leaders in #LockedInLimbo campaign
Research shows refugees have little voice in the UK
October 2017
Pope Francis launches refugees and migrants campaign
March 2017
Legal refugee route opens between Lebanon and France
February 2017
Desperate Journeys – UNHCR report
Outcry and petition over closure of child refugee scheme
January 2017
UK refugee scheme has only resettled 2 families
December 2016
A Very British Nativity – what if Mary and Joseph sought asylum?
November 2016
How welcome now are refugees in Europe?
Christian Aid Cymru walk in solidarity with refugees
October 2016
Churches demand action on Aleppo
September 2016
Rise in refugees stranded in Greece
Peacemaking Sunday 18 September 2016
UK Government called to urgently revise refugee policy
August 2016
Churches’ Refugee Network Seminar – 22 Nov 2016
Petition: housing refugees in family homes
July 2016
Refugee report from the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT)
June 2016
Taking action for refugees – Working Together in Faith conference
Refugee stories from female CTBI delegation to Greece
Refugees want to be reunited with their families
Refugee crisis – looking behind the veneer of Samos
May 2016
First report: refugees in Greece visited by female church leaders
Safe Haven? Responding to the Refugee Crisis
@home in a strange place – URC migration resources
Female Church leaders visiting Greek refugee hotspots
Working Together in Faith – refugee conference 21 June
EU might need Plan B if Turkey refugee deal collapses
What can we do to stop the need for unmarked graves?
Christian Aid Ireland highlights displacement around the world
Update – more child refugees to be allowed into UK
April 2016
What does the Bible say about refugees?
Syria Refugee Situation – sign of a new world disorder?
UK failing to protect refugees say aid agencies
Refugees in Greece divided into two groups after EU-Turkey agreement
UK Government investing £0.5bn in Syrian resettlement programme
Film brings refugee identity into focus
New website – Focus on Refugees
March 2016
Churches appeal to UK Government to settle more refugees
Call for Contributions: Migration and Ministry conference
Ecumenical organisations call for stronger, humane response to refugee crisis
Church guide to welcoming asylum seekers
Syria 5th anniversary: international community must keep working for peace – Christian Aid
The Refugee ‘Crisis’ – What can we do? 17 March, Monifeith, Scotland
Christian Aid warns of dire consequences of closing refugees’ Balkan route
Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees
Refugee Response conference – 5 April 2016
Archbishop of Canterbury urges more Government support for children at Calais
February 2016
Refugee resettlement factsheets from Church of England
First refugees arrive in Italy via Humanitarian Corridors project
Syrians need more than financial pledges – Christian Aid
Resources for Refugee Campaigning from the Student Christian Movement
Governments must do more to help Syrians say Churches
January 2016
WCC urges support for social media campaign to end Syria crisis
WCC/UN conference calls for coordinated action on refugee crisis
Refugee Crisis in Europe – WCC/UN Conference report
Refugee Crisis in Europe – WCC/UN High Level Conference
One refugee’s story: from Syria to France
Archbishop of Canterbury’s New Year Message addresses refugees
