When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:33,34
Unwelcome in Their Own Communities
We are currently living in the midst of a refugee crisis. In a moment, families rooted in their home communities are forced to flee for their lives and find a place of shelter, safety, and asylum.
At Tenth Church, we seek to be a place of support, advocacy and meaningful friendships for refugees seeking safety and protection in the Lower Mainland.
The Refugee Situation
By mid-2020, 80 million people were displaced worldwide as a result of conflict, persecution, human rights violations and violence. Now, humanity is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record, including 26.3 million refugees, 4.2 million asylum seekers (Refugee Claimants) and 49.5 million internally displaced or internationally displaced persons. Although the vast majority of refugees are displaced in countries next door, a small percentage of refugees find their way to Canada. Although Tenth supports refugees in places like Lebanon and Europe, the bulk of our work is here in Canada.
There are two types of refugees in Canada. The first type are convention refugees who are supported by Government and Private Sponsorship groups, and are helped with housing and resettlement assistance. There are also refugee claimants (asylum seekers) who do not receive these same supports. They follow complicated resettlement pathways and often have to find their own way through complex government systems.
Tenth Church primarily works with refugee claimants seeking asylum in Canada, with the core purpose of building genuine and enduring relationships with our refugee claimant neighbours. We work primarily with refugee claimants because:
- They have the least access to systemic support and resources, unlike sponsored and government-assisted refugees.
- They are already in Canada.
- We have a biblical mandate to welcome foreigners and newcomers.
Tenth helps families and individuals find shelter, access income support, set up their housing, navigate the refugee claim process, establish food security and accompany newcomers as they access health care, education, language, skills training and employment. We are able to walk alongside refugees seeking asylum in Canada because of the generosity of those who give of their time and resources to welcome newcomers.
Get Involved: Volunteer
We are able to develop a growing community because of a dedicated and loving team of volunteers in a context of sharing friendship and offering belonging. Here are some ways you can get involved:
- Connect with newcomers at Sunday Social Gatherings
- Provide practical support to families starting their lives in Canada
- Help prepare community meals/events with set-up and teardown
- Assist with moving and home set-up
- Prayer
Interested in volunteering? Learn more here.