Why Christians should join the pro-asylum seeker protests

The UK should resist a “kneejerk” ‘send them home’ message when it comes to asylum seekers.

That’s the view of the Archbishop of York Most Rev Stephen Cottrell who criticised Nigel Farage’s policies this past weekend.

Cottrell is not the only senior church leader speaking out. The Bishop of Oxford told Premier that Nigel Farage’s comments on migration lack Christian compassion. In an open letter Rt Rev Steven Croft also criticised Farage for “increasing fear of the stranger in our communities.”   

A biblical perspective

Fear of and antipathy to strangers was well known in biblical times. The Old Testament outlaws behaviour dominated by this fear and antipathy: “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the stranger. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34) 

Jesus was threatened with death as a child. His parents made the dangerous illegal journey to Egypt. The Bible tells us that this journey was God’s doing. Jesus and his family needed asylum. Jesus still needs a world where people in danger can find asylum. 

Jesus commands us to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan he tells us that our neighbour is anyone we see in need, particularly someone from a despised community. Biblically speaking, the stranger in our midst, however they came to be among us, is definitely to be seen as our neighbour, to be treated as we would want to be treated. 

We must resist the message that asylum seekers are a massive, or even a significant, problem in the UK today. In reality, our serious problems are our refusal to love our neighbour as ourselves, our serving of mammon and our not admitting our own sins and trying to blame others instead. 

Joining the protests

On Saturday I stood outside an asylum seeker hotel by Junction 25 of the M1. Our pro-refugee group were in place immediately in front of the hotel before the anti-refugee group arrived. The asylum seekers in the hotel could see and hear British people telling them to go home, back to intimidation and threats of death. But, between the ‘Go Away!’ mob and them, were British people telling them they were welcome here. 

I met only one Christian, a member of the congregation at Derby Cathedral. Most were ‘lefties’ of various kinds. Our pro-refugee group was organised by Stand Up To Racism. I declined a SUTR sticker to show that I was with them and not of them. Standing outside a hotel, moved with the compassion of Jesus for those inside, does not mean that we support all the agenda of the far left. 

Nor does protesting for refugees mean that we endanger ourselves. We were sensibly advised not to cross the road to engage with the opposing side. We had police on both sides of the road watching them constantly and curbing excessive aggression. At times the aggression was a little scary. We had to put up with insults and jeering. Mostly, we were relaxed and safe. 

Actively resisting messages of rejection and hate by standing outside an asylum seeker hotel means showing our nation that the compassion and values of Jesus and the Bible are still hugely important to us. 

Search for Stand Up To Racism to find your local group. Invite your Chrisian friends and church members to join you in front of a hotel. 

It has been said the anti-aslyum seeker protests are just the tip of a very large iceberg, and that millions of people are fed up with people coming to the UK. But by showing our presence outside asylum seeker hotels - demonstrating love and welcome - we will show there is another iceberg. Not one of fear, hate or anger. But one of love. The way of Jesus. 

For an alternative perspective on this story, see The Christian case for stopping illegal channel crossings