The pact “proposes a road map for cooperation that explicitly recognizes state sovereignty and governments’ rights to decide their own immigration policies”.
Several faith organizations are working together to help the Venezuelan refugees. Three million Venezuelans have left their country in the last year. “This is the biggest refugee crisis in South America”, the UN says.
PMI Director Zaza Lima analyses the refugee crisis from a biblical perspective. “We run the risk of having a theology of consumption, which avoids pain”.
The death toll has risen to more than 2000. 86 church buildings in Palu have been established as aid centres. Pastors ask believers “to pray for strength for their communities to endure in the midst of trauma”.
A group of 27 doctors, 12 nurses and 31 volunteers, along with 20 local volunteer-translators served Greek natives and refugees for three days.
Twice-monthly social events are held for between 80-150 people, sometimes even more. The asylum seekers and refugees cook meals from their own countries, with occasional British cuisine.
The 2019 Refugee Highway Partnership roundtable will gather practitioners and leaders in Europe around the theme “Removing barriers, embracing strangers”.
Anti-immigration Eurosceptics come third with 17.6% of the vote. Long negotiations to form a government ahead.
“As a Christian, the principle of loving my neighbour leads my way of life”, says Norbert Valley. He has received the support of the Evangelical Alliance.
In New York, António Guterres met the Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance, Efraim Tendero.
“God is using these streams of immigrants to give us the opportunity to share the gospel with them”, says the new Swedish Evangelical Alliance Secretary General Olof Edsinger. “But our politicians were quite naïve”.
Prayer meetings were organised in churches and streets. “The church has to be a voice for values and respect”, a Christian politician in the city says.
“Something will change if you have hunger and thirst for justice”, sings Spanish artist Eva Betoret in a song about the refugee crisis.
Hungarian and Italian leaders meet in Milan with the 2019 EU Parliament elections in mind. “There are two sides at the moment in Europe”, Hungarian President Orbán said.
According to the IOM, 60,309 migrants and refugees have entered Europe by sea in 2018. “I think that Spain reacted in a very positive way. But it cannot go on this way”, the EU Immigration Commission said.
“Our well-being in Europe is a God-given gift - it obliges us to offer ourselves to help and share”, the German Evangelical Alliance says.
The increase in diplomatic tensions between France and Italy reopen the debate about the future of the European Union. “Our ties are found in Christ and are so much stronger than these political games”, says the Italian Evangelical Alliance.
Arie de Pater, Brussels representative of the European Evangelical Alliance: “There is a tendency to call the migrant the problem, feeding a rhetoric in which we, Europeans, are the victims. But that is not the case”.
The Brussels representative of the European Evangelical Alliance offers a Christian perspective on the crisis: “We can’t reduce people to just a number that needs to be controlled”.
Christians need to face the crisis with maturity and without getting carried away by political preferences.
Several Christian organisations and churches criticize the President’s “zero tolerance” crackdown on migrants crossing the border.
A film about the experience of refugees in Europe. Churches, small groups and individuals are encouraged to use it during Refugee Week: 17-24 June.
The 630 people from 32 nationalities were received by interpreters, psychologists and medical doctors. Women in danger of being trafficked will receive special support.
The film tells the stories of three refugees and the friends they met in Hungary, France and Denmark. A set of materials are offered to start honest conversations about the challenges and opportunities of the refugee crisis.
Italy and Malta had refused to take the humanitarian ship in. New Spanish government offers Valencia as a safe harbour.
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