Refugees are people forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as a result of who they are, what they believe in or say, or because of armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder.

As a child our Lord Jesus Christ and his parents were refugees, who fled to Egypt to escape Herod. Stories of migration, hospitality, and people seeking safety or asylum are constant threads through the Scriptures. For more than 70 years New Zealand churches have welcomed refugees into our communities, giving practical help and making friends with newcomers.

At present Refugee's are one of the biggest issues in the world today. There were 41.6 million refugees globally at the end of December 2025. Most refugees want to return home once it is safe to do so. In 2025, 4.4 million were able to. There is a difference between a refugee and a migrant. But both are causing huge problems in the U.K. and throughout Europe, and they need to be treated differently by the systems they are entering. I am of the belief that some basic obligations need to be put in place and met by those entering a new country. They should be required to learn to speak the native language of that country, they should also be educated as to the culture of the country they have entered, and it's basic laws so they have no excuse of ignorance if they then break them. If they break those laws and they are a migrant and NOT a refugee, they should be deported and banned from returning. There are some cultural customs of eastern and 3rd World countries that are considered barbaric and are actually illegal in the West. Those entering Western and European countries should be educated on what these are and why they are illegal and not accepted in the West and those entering should be able to pass a test explaining why and sign contracts agreeing to renounce the right to perform these barbaric acts.

We need to pray especially for countries that have taken in Middle Eastern refugees, that the right controls are put in place to protect the West, while providing for the needs of the refugees. Refugees must be prepared to learn and accept the culture they are moving into, rather than imposing their own culture on the country that has accepted them. Many of them need re-education before they should be deemed and accepted as safe citizens of their new country with the full rights and privileges that entails.