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On Sanctuary Sunday, we share a responsibility to oppose hostility towards migrants and asylum seekers
Today many churches will be marking Sanctuary Sunday with prayer and action as part of their contribution to Refugee Week.
The positive theme 'community as a superpower' stands in stark contrast to the examples of violence and hostility towards migrants and people seeking asylum we have witnessed across the island of Ireland in recent times.
Violence and division harm communities, shattering the sense of safety and undermining efforts to address shared social and economic challenges. We all have a responsibility to speak out against these outrages, in particular our political leaders, who have been elected to serve the whole community.
This year, we are encouraged to share the positive experiences of encounter and relationship-building with people who have come to our community from other backgrounds and cultures, particularly those who have come in search of safety.
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Contributing to an informed and respectful public discourse about issues of migration and asylum is vital. No country should hesitate to answer the question of whether it will offer protection and safety to refugees.
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Ukrainians in Ireland succeeding in asylum applications at twice rate of other nationalities
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The UN Refugee Convention of 1951 is a universal obligation and affirms the need to work globally to protect refugees from violence and danger.
The number of people seeking asylum in Ireland has been rising in recent years, as in other countries around the world, but is not disproportionate in European terms.
As the UN High Commissioner for Refugees says, the vast majority of refugees displaced by the destruction and danger of war take shelter in neighbouring countries, and so what we are seeing in Ireland and the rest of the EU falls far behind the contribution that some Middle Eastern and African nations are making to the global response to the needs of displaced people.
Ireland has the resources to respond with compassion to the desperate needs of people seeking asylum. This does not have to be at the expense of the wellbeing of local communities. The theme of 'community as a superpower' reminds us of the vital role of local communities as partners with the Government in this work, and of the importance of respect, consultation and engagement in that relationship.
In my experience, local church congregations offer incredible strength in building community. We are neighbourhood based, we work at the street level and we know how to build partnerships.
And we live where we work - we don't parachute in. We work with partners across all faiths and beliefs for community development and cohesion.
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Jim O'Callaghan's public theatrics mask the truth about asylum seeker deportations
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We know we are in for a long haul. We contribute to building better relationships and driving change. My current passion, working with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, is the development of the idea of church of sanctuary.
A church of sanctuary goes beyond welcome and stands with and supports vulnerable people such as those who are seeking asylum. It becomes part of the growing city of sanctuary and places of sanctuary networks in Ireland, a community-led movement committed to building cultures of welcome and hospitality with refugees.
In a church of sanctuary all members of the congregation intentionally work together to learn about real-life stories of refugees and people seeking sanctuary, and engage with others to work from facts, not fiction and misinformation.
They embed the values and cultures of welcome, hospitality and safety as part of being the congregation and use these to support refugees and people seeking sanctuary.
They also share their vision, commitment and achievements, and let others know about the positive contributions of refugees to society and the benefits of welcoming others.
At a time when vulnerable migrants and refugees are under attack, the church of sanctuary initiative is a constructive response that flows from the values of the Irish church as a Christian community.
This Sanctuary Sunday, we pray for a renewed commitment to challenge hostility with hospitality, inspired by a strong local community vision and working together with people of all faiths and no particular religious belief.
Inderjit Bhogal is founder of the City of Sanctuary and Church of Sanctuary initiatives
