Roses are red, violets are blue – universal human rights apply to refugees too
Valentine’s Day is often associated with chocolate, flowers and teddies – but stories about the third century saint and martyr who gave his name to the day are less saccharine. One of the legends associated with St Valentine is that he defied the order of the emperor Claudius and secretly performed Christian weddings for couples. While there may have been romantic aspects to these marriages, they also served a practical purpose. Husbands were exempt from conscription into the pagan army, so getting married protected men from forced military service.
Today people all over the world still live in the shadow of violence and, like Valentine’s couples, they seek to evade harm. Yet often the only way to do this is to flee. This has been the case in the Middle East, a region which has been shaped by conflict and the resulting displacement of large numbers of people.
Large numbers of refugees in the Middle East
The Syrian conflict is the world’s largest displacement crisis. Approximately 5.5 million Syrian refugees live in five countries in the Middle East region (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt) and over 6 million Syrians are displaced within the country.
Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita worldwide, hosting an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees, equivalent to at least a quarter of the existing population. In addition, there are an estimated 174,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, most of whom live in one of 12 refugee camps established following the 1948 conflict in Palestine.
Over the last 70 years, Iraq has experienced successive waves of displacement. Most recently, 6 million people were internally displaced during the period when ISIS/Daesh were active. In 2023, there were still 1.2 million internally displaced people in Iraq, as well as an additional 250,000 refugees from other countries (mainly Syria). Some live in camps and others in informal sites but all face barriers to returning home.
Egypt has seen the arrival of 400,000 refugees from neighbouring Sudan since war broke out there in April 2023. This is in addition to the significant Sudanese population already in Egypt, having fled previous conflicts. There are also around 150,000 Syrian refugees and over 100,000 from 60 other countries including Eritrea, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
The Bible calls us to care for refugees
As a Christian organisation, we recognise that each person is created in the image of God and so their rights and dignity should be upheld. Sections of the media often use demeaning language to describe refugees as a ‘hordes’ or ‘swarms’, but each one is an individual person, known and loved by God.
We also see that throughout scripture there is a mandate to welcome the stranger, showing love and hospitality to all. In Leviticus 19:34, God instructs the Israelites, ‘You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’ Meanwhile in Hebrews 13:2 we are reminded ‘Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.’ The gospels tell us that Jesus was a refugee in Egypt, as his family fled from King Herod’s murderous intentions.
Embrace supports the ‘Fair Begins Here’ campaign
Contrary to popular opinion, most displaced people in the Middle East stay within the region, with only small numbers coming to Europe. The socioeconomic conditions in countries like Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt are far more challenging than they are here – but this doesn’t stop our Christian partners from welcoming and supporting refugees. As such, the remarkable work of partners like Refuge Egypt, the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil and the vast majority of Embrace’s partners in Lebanon can serve as both an example and an inspiration to us in the UK.
Yet we also know that the instability of the region is one of the major reasons our partners are needed. While they faithfully address the symptoms, a joined-up global approach is needed to tackle the root causes of conflict. The drastic cuts to the UK aid budget in recent years, and its further depletion due to covering UK resettlement costs, mean chronic crises like the war in Syria are being neglected. We know from our partners that this has real human cost and we want to amplify those stories.
For this reason, Embrace is proud to be a member of Together with Refugees – a broad coalition of over 600 organisations calling for a kinder, fairer approach to supporting refugees in the UK. In December, we launched a new campaign: Fair Begins Here. Over the next two years, this aims to ensure the next UK government commits to a new and fair plan for refugees, to include:
Protection for people fleeing war and persecution by upholding the UK’s commitment under international law to the right to claim asylum and by scrapping the Rwanda scheme.
A proper strategy for welcoming refugees by ensuring fair, rapid decisions on their application for asylum, and the chance to rebuild their lives through settling in a community, being allowed to work and the chance to learn English.
Stronger global cooperation to tackle the root causes that force people to flee their homes and provides positive solutions when they do, including through safe routes to refugee protection.
You can show your support for refugees
This Valentine’s Day, Together with Refugees are encouraging people to come together to show that communities up and down the country welcome refugees. Here are 3 easy ways that you can join in and show your support for refugees:
Bring a group together to make refugee solidarity Valentine’s cards, or do the activity with a group that is already meeting.
Get creative with orange hearts - why not create an orange heart display in your church, school or community centre? Invite people to show their support for refugees by adding messages of welcome and solidarity.
Share the love on social media by posting orange heart photos and messages of love and support for refugees, using the hashtag #FairBeginsHere.
Let us know in the comments or on social media how you will be showing your love and solidarity for refugees this Valentine’s Day and beyond. And do watch this space as we share more about the Fair Begins Here campaign over the coming months…
