Six major Nordic aid and development organisations, and members of ACT Alliance, have called on governments in Europe to take immediate response to the refugee crisis on Europe’s doorstep.
“People are dying on our doorstep – Europe needs to act now,” was the call from the organisations, highlighting: “In Europe, we pride ourselves being leaders when it comes to values like democracy and human rights. As organisations based on Christian values, we believe that we need to act. Now is the time to bring our values into action.”
The organisations Norwegian Church Aid, Church of Sweden, Diakonia Sweden, Finn Church Aid, DanChurchAid, and Icelandic Church Aid said in their statement: “We Europeans have the power to help and our governments must respect their obligations to treat everyone with dignity and respect. We must help the affected people in Europe, in transit and at their country of origin. Displaced people need to be assisted and supported in accordance with the refugee convention, human rights and applicable international law. The increasing refugee flow is a result of poverty, conflict and war. Ultimately, it can only be solved by addressing the root causes. Shutting people out will not be the solution. Europe needs to act together.”
ACT Alliance is a coalition of more than 140 churches and faith-based organisations working together in over 140 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality.
