WCC NEWS: At conference in Warsaw, churches note “Europeans have opened hearts and houses for refugees”—but a sustainable approach is needed

During a European Asylum Rights Conference in Warsaw, church representatives explored ways to meet the enormous challenges ahead in receiving and protecting refugees—regardless of what they are fleeing. 11 March 2022, Vyšné Nemecké, Slovakia: Refugee families from Ukraine run for the bus that is to take them further into Slovakia from the Vyšné Nemecké border crossing between Slovakia and Ukraine. The Vyšné Nemecké border crossing connects Slovakia with the city of Uzhgorod in Ukraine. Photo: Albin Hillert, all rights reserved 26 October 2022 Participants contrasted some people’s willingness to accept refugees from Ukraine with the unwillingness to accept those from other wars and crisis areas such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Belarus. In fact, pushing back refugees in many cases undermines the core of human rights and violates international refugee protection laws. Families with children and traumatized people are particularly vulnerable. Dr Hanna Machińska, vice ombudsman and deputy commissioner for Human Rights in Poland, expressed grave concern about the situation at the Polish Belorussian border, where there are repeated allegations about refugees brutally being pushed back to Belarus. "This is a violation of God’s right and it is a violation of human rights,” she said. Father Panteleimon Papasynefakis of the Church of Greece echoed this: "Europe has shown that it can respond. It is once again time to remember our basic principles of solidarity and, most of all, it is time to terminate the policy of discrimination.” Torsten Moritz, general secretary of the Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe, said: "The first six months of receiving Ukrainian refugees has shown how Europeans have opened hearts, mind and houses for refugees.” What is needed now is to make these good practices sustainable, he urged. “This will require more and stable resources from governments and the EU, but also again private organisations to assist the refugees over the winter,” he said. “The situation could otherwise become very difficult. It will also be essential that the same welcome and protection is offered to all refugee groups, irrespective of nationality, religion, ethnic origin." The conference—co-organized by Diakonie Germany, the World Council of Churches, and the Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe—drew more than 70 experts on refugees from churches and non-governmental organizations from more than 15 countries. See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland