Chorlton Central Church

Despite the bigotry which stains the history of much of Christian history, both the Old and New Testaments emphasize the importance of welcoming immigrants.

The entire book of Ruth, in the Old Testament, is about the fate of a economic migrant, who leaves her native country during a famine, and subsequently returns, bringing one of her daughters-in-law, who herself becomes an immigrant in Ruth's native country, Israel.

Several years ago Chorlton Central Church signed up to the 'Refugees Welcome Here' campaign. Our government's policy towards asylum seekers and refugees distresses us and members are campaigning for better treatment of people who are being officially discriminated against when they are at their most vulnerable.

Let Them Work

Times are hard with news of more job losses every week. But in times of economic difficulty it becomes even more important to stand up for the most vulnerable in our society.

Asylum seekers, who fled persecution in their own countries looking for a place of safety, are among the most vulnerable people in the UK. While they here, they want to work, to support themselves and their families, to pay taxes, and to contribute to the economy. But they are being denied this opportunity. Instead, they are forced to survive on hand-outs that leave them in poverty - or they are denied support altogether and end up destitute.

In hard times society expects all people to pull their weight where they can – we should give asylum seekers the chance to work so that they can support themselves. Why do we deny them this, make them to live on hand-outs and then force them to bear the brunt of public hostility? We should show solidarity with asylum seekers.

The great injustice is that people seeking asylum find themselves scapegoated as scroungers, when they would welcome the opportunity to work while they are here.

Here’s the pledge:

We want the Government to allow asylum seekers to work if they have been waiting longer than six months for a full resolution on their asylum claim. Until 2002 asylum seekers could work if they’d been waiting longer than 6 months for an initial decision from the Home Office.

We want the Government to ensure that permission to work remains for people whose claim for asylum is refused, but they are unable to return home immediately through no fault of their own, and are complying with instructions to report to authorities.

You can help. Visit http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/letthemwork to sign the campaign pledge and find out more about the campaign.

Living Ghosts

... is the title of Church Action on Poverty's campaign on behalf of destitute asylum seekers.

People seeking asylum in the UK who have had their application refused (often through unfair and incompetent processes) sometimes cannot be deported because it is not possible or safe to do so. Government policy is to use a carrot and stick approach of making rejected asylum seekers destitute whilst offering very basic support if applicants say they will “voluntarily” return to the place they fled.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it

Hebrews ch. 13 v. 2

Many people, including Christians, are scandalised that destitution is being used as a tool of Government policy. For some Christians the obvious root of the destitution has challenged them to do more than just put sticky plasters on the problem.

The Living Ghosts Campaign is committed to and end to the destitution of asylum seekers.

More information is available at the Church Action on Poverty website, where you can also donate to the campaign on-line.

revised 19 April 2009