C031 Migration with Dignity
Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring,
That the 81st General Convention, as people of faith who believe that all people are created in the image of God, advocate for Migration with Dignity, a statement of general principles about migration that champion equal and respectful treatment of all people, which follow directly from the teachings of Jesus and our baptismal promise to “respect the dignity of every human being,” while aligning with the world’s other great religions and principled humanism; and be it further
Resolved, that, acknowledging that grave and serious mistreatment of ethnic minorities, migrants and refugees is currently on the rise in the midst of record migration across international borders, the 81st General Convention, consistent with previous resolutions of the General Conventions of The Episcopal Church, declare itself to be in support of Migration with Dignity for all migrants, including refugees, asylum seekers, displaced persons, and those who cross borders in search of opportunity, including the following human rights within the Migration with Dignity framework:
A universal right of movement, including freedom to leave and return to one’s country of origin, freedom of movement within one’s country of origin or country of settlement.
The right to be secure: from sexual violence including rape and sexual exploitation, human trafficking, slavery, forced labor and arbitrary and abusive detention.
The right of equality, to include: 1) equal treatment with no discrimination under the law based on color, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, political affiliation, national origin; and 2) equal opportunity for upward mobility.
Rights to a basic quality of life, including employment rights, housing rights and food rights.
The right to access services such as health care, education and legal representation.
Civil and political rights guaranteeing the right to identity, to use of one’s language, and to freedom of speech and religion.
And be it further
Resolved, That the 81st General Convention affirm Migration with Dignity as a framework to guide ministry with migrants, calling upon all Episcopalians, congregations, and dioceses to make urgent efforts through direct action to support arriving migrants’ immediate needs for shelter, food, clothing, legal assistance, etc. and to advocate that local, state, national, and international governing bodies promote Migration with Dignity by enforcing existing laws and policies that uphold these principles on behalf of refugees, migrants, asylum seekers, and displaced persons, and by enacting new laws and policies guaranteeing their welcome, protection, and integration into our common human journey; and be it further
Resolved, that the 81st General Convention call upon the Office of Government Relations and the church’s UN Mission to continue and reinforce their efforts to support the Global Compact for Migration and other international frameworks that are consistent with the general principles stated in Migration with Dignity; and be it further
Resolved, that the 81st General Convention direct the Presiding Bishop and President of the House of Deputies to establish a Task Force on Migration with Dignity (MWD) to build on and expand migration ministries in the Episcopal Church and to develop a strategic plan for coordinated, global Episcopal ministry consistent with MWD principles for all migrating persons at all stages of migration. The task force will be instructed to:
- Inventory current assets and resources for serving and supporting migrants, church-wide
- Conduct a gap analysis to identify missing elements that could strengthen the church’s response
- Recommend a coordinated whole-of-church strategy to strengthen our support for migrants, consistent with this resolution;
And be it further
Resolved, that the Task Force on Migration with Dignity consist of no more than 14 members who have direct experience with migration and/or are actively involved in migration-related ministry in the Episcopal Church, and who represent all Provinces, especially those with dioceses outside of the U.S. A minimum of three Bishops shall serve on the Task Force, and be it further
Resolved, that the Task Force report to Executive Council annually during the Triennium and to the 82nd General Convention; and be it further
Resolved, that the General Convention request a budget allocation of $54,000 for the implementation of this resolution.
Explanation
This resolution is needed as a positive general statement, reaffirming and updating the Episcopal Church’s overall, 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)
Jesus’s second great commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
All six of the key elements of the resolution align with, and can be derived from, the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). They are also fully consistent with more recent international frameworks, such as the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, the UN Global Compact for Migration, the Global Compact on Refugees and the Global Refugee Forum. These are attached as supporting documents. The Episcopal Church has consistently supported these landmark statements and agreements.
The resolution also accords with and supports key positions of the Anglican Communion. As set forth in the Lambeth Human Dignity call of 2022, 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 Pt. 4:8-10). This statement is attached as a supporting document,
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 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. A listing of the previous resolutions that support Migration With Dignity, with links to their full text, is attached as a supporting document. 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. Current approaches have proven inadequate to this challenge. Grave and serious mistreatment of ethnic minorities, migrants and refugees 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).
The Migration with Dignity framework is presented and discussed in greater detail in two articles published in 2022 in the Journal of Disaster Research, which are attached as supporting documents.
The budget for the proposed Task Force on Migration with Dignity breaks down as follows:
Two in-person meetings for 14 people:
Two, two-and-a-half day meetings @ $1,700 per person = $47,600.
Total: Round up to $50,000 due to international travel costs.
Strategic planning consultant:
Two meeting days @ $800 per day = $1600
Travel costs for meeting = $1700
Administrative work @$700/day = $700
Total: $4,000
Task Force budget total: $54,000
Support Documents:
Migración con Dignidad, Documentos de apoyo
Migration with Dignity, Supporting Documents
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.