The Council of the Christian Churches of Belgium, formed of Orthodox, Anglicans, Protestants and Catholics, has sent an open letter to Belgian prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt to ask that the rights to dignity, work and peace of refugees and asylum seekers be recognized. The letter was sent to mark World Refugee Day, which is being celebrated tomorrow. In its letter, the Council, though recognising “the State’s right to control its own frontiers”, appeals for recognition of “people’s right to dignity, especially those who live in miserable conditions”. Such recognition, the letter continues, implies that “legal procedures be put into practice” that are able to “guarantee human rights without restrictions”. “Immigrants – says the letter of the Churches – are frequently the victims of discrimination. They experience permanent insecurity in terms of healthcare, the education of their children, and the chances of finding work. Any reform of the legislation on right to asylum cannot fail to take into account the existing legislative shortcomings with regard to the acceptance and assistance of refugees”. The Belgian Churches address the same appeal also to the countries of the European Union, whose laws “cannot aim merely at curbing or controlling the various forms of immigration”. “Immigration – concludes the letter – is a positive opportunity that can heal the social fabric. It is the task of every society to contribute to the social peace that recognizes and respects the rights of men, women and children”.
