Where is your safety? Where do you find refuge and asylum?
As I have often said, in my working role I am in an extraordinarily privileged position. I have heard and continue to hear many people’s stories. People from all different walks of life and heritage. Their personal experiences: stories that are harrowing and heartbreaking but equally full of courage, overwhelming grace and hope.
As a result, I often become caught up in the news headlines about asylum seekers, the pictures and statistics and confess to becoming increasingly frustrated at the way in which people are depicted. I have heard first-hand the experiences of those who have travelled alone as children to the UK, as well as the narrative of asylum-seeking adults; all from a range of countries, and who all relay the horrors and brutality they have been through in attempt to find safety. So be warned my blog may reflect the frustration!
“No one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.”
I wonder, what does asylum mean to you? Often it is used to denote shelter or protection from danger. As Christians we seek ‘shelter’ in God for the challenges we face. We have the ultimate ‘asylum’ and the psalms are full of the safety afforded by our creator. We are so blessed.
The origins of asylum date from late middle English and suggest a place of refuge. In the past ‘asylum’ has also been seen as an institution – a place of refuge for those experiencing mental health problems; a place of protection for those who are vulnerable. As we know ‘asylum’ also denotes the protection granted by a state to someone who has left their home and country, someone who is perceived to be a political refugee. Sadly, the term migrant and illegal immigrant have become synonymous with asylum seekers and refugees, which has brought stigma and confusion. Interestingly, there is some suggestion in Matthew 2 v 13-23 that Jesus too was a refugee, but others refute this given strict definitions in the political arena. However, he was certainly fleeing persecution and certain death at the hands of Herod. He sought safety away from his native home.
Currently we see figures on the news on a regular basis depicting the number of immigrants coming to Britain. Seemingly newscasters and journalists are unable to separate out the numbers to illustrate that most migrants are those invited to this country to fill skilled posts such as those in health and social care, where there are staff shortages. Asylum seekers are readily included in these immigrant numbers. This seems strange when it is easily accessible in the World Migration Reports. Rarely do reporters cover the stories of children fleeing their homes and families, who are beaten, starved and imprisoned at every border they cross. Those who are repeatedly sent back to the previous border to make the same treacherous journey again, experiencing more abuse. All seeking asylum. The reporting seems to fan the flames of division and gives the impression that there is a mass exodus of illegal immigrants coming across the world to Britain. It neglects to say that it is a Human Right to seek protection in another country. There is no asylum visa. Asylum seekers crossing the channel and similar are not illegal, they are exercising one of their fundamental human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948.
Sadly, apart from one news item from parliament in 2023, we don’t hear about the hundreds of children fleeing persecution who have gone missing in the UK never to be seen or heard of again. Sadly too, we don’t ever hear the graciousness, gratitude and humility expressed by young men and women, who after years and years of navigating the asylum seeker process, who have fled persecution and fear of their lives only to find themselves persecuted and in fear of their lives in this country. Who say what a blessing it is to be here, conveying understanding at the brutality and minimising their traumatic experiences. We certainly rarely hear about their achievements and how they have become doctors, lawyers, engineers and scientists, and how they are contributing in wholesome ways to the people around them.
Henry Kong writes,
“The decision to leave one's country comes with many unimaginable consequences. For many refugees, this is not a voluntary choice but a matter of life or death. As a refugee who left my homeland at a young age, I have spent more time living abroad than in my homeland. Living alongside fellow refugees has enriched my perspective and made me strong. The challenges I faced have fostered resilience within me and I refuse to be defined by my disability. My motivation propels me forward to help others facing the same plight. Despite the pain I have experienced, I strive to love the world while acknowledging my struggles”
(Henry Kong's Inspiring Journey Featured in Plymouth Law Review | Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support)
I cannot help but be moved by the many people I have met who are so grateful for the hard-won hospitality and safety that living in the UK brings. Hospitality is about receiving and treating guests and strangers with warmth, friendliness and generosity. The Greek translation of “hospitality” from the New Testament literally means “love of strangers.” Hospitality is required as part of our Christian Walk and is commanded by God himself “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt” (Leviticus 19 v 33-34). Hospitality was how Jesus completed His ministry, and it was depended upon by many travellers in biblical times – it is seen as a virtue.
In Hebrews we are reminded to “entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13v2) and we have read how Abraham lavished hospitality on three strangers only to find he had cared for the Lord and two angels (Genesis 18 v 1-8). So, I am hoping that as the climate temperature rises over the next 30 years and more and more people are displaced that we will reflect the love and compassion of Jesus to all those who need it, especially to those who are strangers and are less fortunate than ourselves. Let us be a shelter and refuge in His image, I pray.
Until next time.
Blessings, Sue
April 2025