People movements

“Tens of thousands of people are on the move. Not thinking about them, not doing anything for them are not options for caring Christians.”

Alistair Brown

BMS World Mission General Director

Asylum seekers & refugees: protecting human rights Asylum seekers are people who have moved

across an international border in search of protection under the 1951 Refugee Convention, but whose claim for refugee status has not yet been determined.

Refugees are people residing outside their country of nationality, who are unable or unwilling to return because of a ‘well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a political social group, or political opinion’.

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Asylum seekers & refugees: protecting human rights Asylum seekers

Refugees

596,000 in 151 countries

14.2 million worldwide

Asylum seekers & refugees: protecting human rights

Take Iraq…– Escalating violence– But over 85 per

cent of Iraqi asylum seeker applications are rejected by many industrialised countries

Asylum seekers & refugees: protecting human rights

“Many of us rarely, if ever, question these labels.”

‘bogus’‘illegal’

‘fraudulent’

‘scroungers’ ‘criminals’

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Asylum seekers & refugees: protecting human rights

“To protect those who flee persecution is one of the most basic expressions of human solidarity. We must ensure that this principle survives in the age of mass migrations and war against terror.”

(UNHCR)

Forced migration: the consequences

Forced migration: the consequences• Top five countries of origin of refugees:

Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia

• Almost 75 per cent of the world’s refugees are hosted by countries with a per capita income of less than $2,000

• European countries host only four per cent of refugees and asylum seekers worldwide

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Forced migration: the consequences

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are people who have been forced to flee their homes suddenly or unexpectedly, and who are within the territory of their own country

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Forced migration: the consequences

Internally displaced persons (IDPs)

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s 21-25 million IDPs worldwide

70-80 per cent of IDPs are women and children

Forced migration: the consequences

Reduced……education…employment opportunities …health (eg malnutrition,

HIV infection)…human rights (eg violence,

forced labour)

Consequences suffered by those forced to migrate:

Urbanisation: city survivors

Case study: Guayaquil, Ecuador• Population of three

million• Over half of over-11s

are forced to work• High unemployment

and underemployment

Urbanisation: city survivors

“Los Vergeles, where we work, is a poor community of 45,000 people. Most of them do not originate from Guayquil, but have come in search of a better life. Many never find it. However, this neighbourhood… is a tremendous opportunity for the gospel.”

Pray for…

Peter and Vicki Butchers, working amongst the urban poor in Guayaquil

Bible reflection and discussion

• What does the Bible say about refugees, the homeless and persecuted?

(Heb 11: 8-9; 1 Cor 4: 11; Ps 107: 4,7; Acts 8: 1,3)

• Israel was commanded to have compassion on foreigners (Lev 19: 33-34; Ex 22: 21; 23: 9).

Is your church following their example?• What did Jesus say about refugees? What

did he experience? (Matt 2: 13-15; 8: 20; 25: 35)

Bible reflection and discussion

“The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”

(Ps 9: 9)