The situation facing refugees and migrants continues to be a matter of huge global concern, and we see the impact of it across Europe in our chaplaincies and our communities.

While the issues are many and complex, the Diocese in Europe is committed to showing compassion to those forced to flee their countries as well as the communities they join.

As Christians, we believe in human dignity rooted in the creation of each person in God’s image, and that everyone possesses innate human rights. Jesus identifies with the refugee and the oppressed and calls on us to similarly identify compassionately with the vulnerable. We believe our calling as Christians and churches compels us to welcome the stranger as our response to Jesus himself. When recognising Christ in the face of the stranger, we begin to transform the situation of ‘us’ and ‘them’ into a new relationship of ‘we’, there is blessing in the encounter and we become human together.

Many of our chaplaincies work to support refugees in their communities with projects ranging from food banks to community kitchens, educational support and family hosting.