C015 Migration with Dignity
This resolution reaffirms and updates the Episcopal Church’s long-standing commitment to human rights as they pertain to just treatment of the world’s refugees, asylum-seekers, and all migrants.
The resolution is deeply grounded in Scripture. No moral guidance is more clearly articulated in both biblical testaments than the need to “welcome the stranger.” A few examples:
Old Testament: “Don’t mistreat any foreigners who live in your land. Instead, treat them as well as you treat citizens and love them as much as you love yourself. Remember, you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34).
New Testament: “Be sure to welcome strangers into your home. By doing this, some people have welcomed angels as guests, without even knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)
All six of the key elements of the Migration with Dignity framework align with, and can be derived from, the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Episcopal Church has strongly supported this landmark statement since it was initially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
The resolution also accords with and supports key positions of the Anglican Communion. As set forth in the 2022 Lambeth Call on Human Dignity, actions against the human dignity of God’s children, including those against migrants and refugees, are sin, and hospitality to all and faithfulness to each are key marks of a godly community (1 Peter 4:8-10).
As a single, clear, and direct positive statement of principle, the resolution draws together positions that have been affirmed in more than 50 General Convention and Executive Council resolutions over the years. Its concision and clarity in delineating the rights of migrants will help us communicate our church’s stance more effectively, build support, and work alongside other pro-migrant organizations toward a world in which fundamental human rights extend to all people. Many of these previous resolutions advocate government action; the Migration with Dignity principles establish rights of migrants that can serve as the basis of advocacy for just and compassionate government policies and practices and as a guiding foundation for action by dioceses, congregations, and individuals in The Episcopal Church.
The resolution, taken as a whole, defines a much-needed, innovative response to the increasing challenge of global migration. Grave and serious mistreatment of ethnic minorities, migrants, and refugees is currently on the rise both in the United States and globally in the midst of record migration across international borders. The number of international migrants grew to 281 million in 2020, meaning that 3.6% of the world’s people lived outside their country of birth that year, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Supporting Documents:
- The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights: org/udhr
- The Lambeth Human Dignity Call of 2022:
https://www.lambethconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LC_Human-Dignity_ENG.pdf - Analysis of previous General Convention and Executive Council resolutions, correlating them with the Migration with Dignity principles.
Note: this resolution and/or its explanation contains external references, such as URLs of websites, that may not be in the required languages of General Convention. Because of copyright restrictions, the General Convention cannot provide translations. However, your web browser may be able to provide a machine translation into another language. If you need assistance with this, please contact gc.support@episcopalchurch.org.
Explanation
This resolution reaffirms and updates the Episcopal Church’s long-standing commitment to human rights as they pertain to just treatment of the world’s refugees, asylum-seekers, and all migrants.
The resolution is deeply grounded in Scripture. No moral guidance is more clearly articulated in both biblical testaments than the need to “welcome the stranger.” A few examples:
Old Testament: “Don’t mistreat any foreigners who live in your land. Instead, treat them as well as you treat citizens and love them as much as you love yourself. Remember, you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33-34).
New Testament: “Be sure to welcome strangers into your home. By doing this, some people have welcomed angels as guests, without even knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2)
All six of the key elements of the Migration with Dignity framework align with, and can be derived from, the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Episcopal Church has strongly supported this landmark statement since it was initially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
The resolution also accords with and supports key positions of the Anglican Communion. As set forth in the 2022 Lambeth Call on Human Dignity, actions against the human dignity of God’s children, including those against migrants and refugees, are sin, and hospitality to all and faithfulness to each are key marks of a godly community (1 Peter 4:8-10).
As a single, clear, and direct positive statement of principle, the resolution draws together positions that have been affirmed in more than 50 General Convention and Executive Council resolutions over the years. Its concision and clarity in delineating the rights of migrants will help us communicate our church’s stance more effectively, build support, and work alongside other pro-migrant organizations toward a world in which fundamental human rights extend to all people. Many of these previous resolutions advocate government action; the Migration with Dignity principles establish rights of migrants that can serve as the basis of advocacy for just and compassionate government policies and practices and as a guiding foundation for action by dioceses, congregations, and individuals in The Episcopal Church.
The resolution, taken as a whole, defines a much-needed, innovative response to the increasing challenge of global migration. Grave and serious mistreatment of ethnic minorities, migrants, and refugees is currently on the rise both in the United States and globally in the midst of record migration across international borders. The number of international migrants grew to 281 million in 2020, meaning that 3.6% of the world’s people lived outside their country of birth that year, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Supporting Documents:
- The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights: org/udhr
- The Lambeth Human Dignity Call of 2022:
https://www.lambethconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/LC_Human-Dignity_ENG.pdf - Analysis of previous General Convention and Executive Council resolutions, correlating them with the Migration with Dignity principles.
Note: this resolution and/or its explanation contains external references, such as URLs of websites, that may not be in the required languages of General Convention. Because of copyright restrictions, the General Convention cannot provide translations. However, your web browser may be able to provide a machine translation into another language. If you need assistance with this, please contact gc.support@episcopalchurch.org.