Refugee Week

It is Refugee Week, and this year’s theme is ‘our home’.

Rooted in Christ’s invitation to care for those in need, the work we support with refugees in the Middle East is providing some of the most marginalised people with practical support and the tools to build a brighter future.

High levels of conflict and insecurity in the Middle East and North Africa have led to increasing numbers of refugees and internally displaced people over the past decade. The Syrian civil war has caused the world’s largest displacement crisis. Lebanon hosts the most refugees per capita worldwide and there are nearly 1 million internally displaced people in Iraq.

More recently, the war in Gaza has resulted in the internal displacement of the vast majority of its population. And the conflict in Sudan has triggered the displacement of more than 10 million people, with the UN warning that Sudan is facing the world’s worst displacement crisis. Since April 2023, the number of Sudanese refugees in Egypt has increased five-fold.

But in the face of darkness, Embrace partners and projects are bringing hope and healing to people who have lost everything. Socioeconomic conditions are severe in the countries where we work, but this hasn’t stopped our Christian partners from welcoming and helping people who are seeking sanctuary.

Bible verses to reflect on:

‘You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’ Leviticus 19:34

‘He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.’ Deuteronomy 10:18

‘Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.’ Deuteronomy 10:19

‘Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’ Zechariah 7:10

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.’ Matthew 25:35

‘Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers for by doing that some have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.’ Hebrews 13:1-2

Thought

The right to seek sanctuary is enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As Christians, we are called to pursue justice, which includes holding our leaders to account for the policies and decisions they make regarding refugees. For many of us, there are also important actions we can take to support refugees at a community level – from volunteering at our local drop-in centre to ensuring we are well-informed on refugee issues.

The above Bible verses clearly demonstrate the biblical mandate to ‘welcome the stranger’ and show love and hospitality to all. Let’s also not forget that Jesus himself was a refugee as a young child (see Matthew 2:13-23). Although we know very little about the Holy Family’s sojourn in Egypt, Coptic Christians are proud of the fact that Egypt was the first place Jesus went to after he left Bethlehem.

Ask yourself: How can you put your compassion into action this Refugee Week?

Prayer:

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