Video: Episcopal Church helps refugees resettle in France

By Matthew Davies
Posted Oct 22, 2015

This article is part of an ongoing series exploring the response to the global refugee crisis by The Episcopal Church and its ecumenical and interfaith partners. Other articles in the series are available here.

[Episcopal News Service] The following video about how The Episcopal Church is helping refugees escaping war and persecution to find new homes in France was first published in June 2013.

Much of the story is still accurate more than 2 years later. However, since the video was published, Association d’Entraide aux Minorités d’Orient (Association to Support Eastern Minorities), set up to help the French government identify candidates eligible for asylum, has helped to resettle a further 1,300 refugees, bringing the total number to more than 2,600.

Although the association, set up in 2007 by Bishop Pierre Whalon of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe and Iraqi businessman Elish Yako, has largely focused on Iraqi Christian refugees, in the past two years it has helped many Syrian minorities escaping persecution.

The association often meets the refugees as they enter France and assists them with integration and administrative issues.

Resources for education and response

  • The most recent updates from Episcopal Relief & Development about its response to the refugee crisis, as well as ways to donate, are available here.
  • Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori’s statement on refugees as well as congregational and individual response suggestions are available here.
  • Episcopal Migration Ministries, the refugee resettlement service of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, works with local resettlement partners, congregations, and individual volunteers, to welcome refugees to the United States from the world’s most war-torn places.

— Matthew Davies is an editor/reporter for the Episcopal News Service.


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