European and US churches offer fresh support to immigrants
-04/05/06
As the US governme
European and US churches offer fresh support to immigrants
-04/05/06
As the US government reels from demonstrations by up to a million migrant workers countrywide, and embattled British home secretary Charles Clarke says the UK may summarily deport foreigners who commit criminal offences, Christian churches on both sides of the Atlantic are protesting against growing legal restrictions on migrants.
Referring to the clear Hebrew and Christian mandate to care for the stranger, Bishop Georges Pontier of La Rochelle, France, has declared: “There are pages of the Bible that we can’t just tear out.”
The bishop referenced, in particular, the end of St Matthewís Gospel, where Jesus is portrayed as directly praising those who give succour to strangers, prisoners, the hungry and the homeless ñ and condemns those who do not.
Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox clergy, social commentators and theologians have stepped up efforts to defend immigrants in France, Belgium, Germany and the UK.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-OíConnor, the leaders of Roman Catholics in England and Wales, recently suggested that the government should consider an amnesty for migrant workers.
He highlighted the injustices they face, and said they deserved to be treated with respect and humanity.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles has been a vocal advocate for legalising unregistered migrants.
Since Poland joined the European Union in 2004, about 250,000 Poles have moved to Britain. The UK now plans to introduce a points-based entry system to limit access to more skilled workers.
French Catholic and Protestant leaders Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard and Pastor Jean-Arnold de Clermont last week argued for changes in a new immigration bill.
The Council of Christian Churches in France says bill, prompted by earlier urban unrest, that would cherry pick qualified workers while making family reunification more difficult and expulsion from France much easier.
Faith leaders have expressed their concerns in a recent meeting with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.
One hundred asylum seekers in Belgium have been given residence in March 2006 following a hunger strike.
Activists have also been occupying church buildings around the country for months with the approval of local bishops. About 20 churches are involved.
And in the USA legal cases are being fought on behalf of Iraqi asylum seekers.
Three bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) also joined prominent United Methodists, Catholics, Episcopalians, Mennonites and Christians of many different traditions when they spoke at events held across the United States last week in support of just immigration reform.
The rallies preceded mass demonstrations by migrant workers themselves, which have sent shock waves through the political establishment.
There are nearly 12 million ëillegalsí currently in the US, and pro-migrant campaigners say that they deserve an amnesty. Many menial jobs are done by migrant labourers, who make a major contribution to the economy.
The right of the Republican Party opposes what it sees as a ësofteningí of attitudes towards immigration. But critics point out that the US, like Britain, is a nation of migrants and that controlling labour flows while capital can make or break jobs anywhere is unfeasible and unjust ñ as well as inhuman.
[Also on Ekklesia: Cardinal suggests UK amnesty for illegal immigrants 03/05/06; Vote against racism, says archbishop, as BNP are exposed 30/04/06; Churches join US rallies to support justice for migrants 12/04/06; Catholics to celebrate migrant workers 20/03/06; Christians descend on Washington to protest immigration bill 06/03/06; Churches express solidarity with migrants and asylum seekers 17/01/06; Churches in the US pledge solidarity with migrants 09/01/06; Archbishop calls for Irish immigrant amnesty 03/01/05]
European and US churches offer fresh support to immigrants
-04/05/06
As the US government reels from demonstrations by up to a million migrant workers countrywide, and embattled British home secretary Charles Clarke says the UK may summarily deport foreigners who commit criminal offences, Christian churches on both sides of the Atlantic are protesting against growing legal restrictions on migrants.
Referring to the clear Hebrew and Christian mandate to care for the stranger, Bishop Georges Pontier of La Rochelle, France, has declared: “There are pages of the Bible that we can’t just tear out.”
The bishop referenced, in particular, the end of St Matthewís Gospel, where Jesus is portrayed as directly praising those who give succour to strangers, prisoners, the hungry and the homeless ñ and condemns those who do not.
Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox clergy, social commentators and theologians have stepped up efforts to defend immigrants in France, Belgium, Germany and the UK.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-OíConnor, the leaders of Roman Catholics in England and Wales, recently suggested that the government should consider an amnesty for migrant workers.
He highlighted the injustices they face, and said they deserved to be treated with respect and humanity.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angeles has been a vocal advocate for legalising unregistered migrants.
Since Poland joined the European Union in 2004, about 250,000 Poles have moved to Britain. The UK now plans to introduce a points-based entry system to limit access to more skilled workers.
French Catholic and Protestant leaders Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard and Pastor Jean-Arnold de Clermont last week argued for changes in a new immigration bill.
The Council of Christian Churches in France says bill, prompted by earlier urban unrest, that would cherry pick qualified workers while making family reunification more difficult and expulsion from France much easier.
Faith leaders have expressed their concerns in a recent meeting with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.
One hundred asylum seekers in Belgium have been given residence in March 2006 following a hunger strike.
Activists have also been occupying church buildings around the country for months with the approval of local bishops. About 20 churches are involved.
And in the USA legal cases are being fought on behalf of Iraqi asylum seekers.
Three bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) also joined prominent United Methodists, Catholics, Episcopalians, Mennonites and Christians of many different traditions when they spoke at events held across the United States last week in support of just immigration reform.
The rallies preceded mass demonstrations by migrant workers themselves, which have sent shock waves through the political establishment.
There are nearly 12 million ëillegalsí currently in the US, and pro-migrant campaigners say that they deserve an amnesty. Many menial jobs are done by migrant labourers, who make a major contribution to the economy.
The right of the Republican Party opposes what it sees as a ësofteningí of attitudes towards immigration. But critics point out that the US, like Britain, is a nation of migrants and that controlling labour flows while capital can make or break jobs anywhere is unfeasible and unjust ñ as well as inhuman.
[Also on Ekklesia: Cardinal suggests UK amnesty for illegal immigrants 03/05/06; Vote against racism, says archbishop, as BNP are exposed 30/04/06; Churches join US rallies to support justice for migrants 12/04/06; Catholics to celebrate migrant workers 20/03/06; Christians descend on Washington to protest immigration bill 06/03/06; Churches express solidarity with migrants and asylum seekers 17/01/06; Churches in the US pledge solidarity with migrants 09/01/06; Archbishop calls for Irish immigrant amnesty 03/01/05]