In teaching us charity, the Gospel instructs us in the preferential respect due to the poor and the special situation they have in society: the more fortunate should renounce some of their rights so as to place their goods more generously at the service of others. Pope Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens (1971), n.23.
Without putting themselves in the place of the institutions of civil society, [Christian organisations] have to express, in their own way and rising above their particular nature, the concrete demands of the Christian faith for a just, and consequently necessary, transformation of society.
Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens (1971), n.51.
Love — caritas — is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace. Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (2009), n.1.
Migrants are not seen as entitled like others to participate in the life of society, and it is forgotten that they possess the same intrinsic dignity as any person. Hence they ought to be “agents in their own redemption”. No one will ever openly deny that they are human beings, yet in practice, by our decisions and the way we treat them, we can show that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human.
Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, 39
There are a number of ways individuals and communities can get involved within their communities to support refugees and migrants.
If you are interested in hosting a refugee, there are a number of organisations running such schemes, including CSAN member Jesuit Refugee Service UK: https://www.jrsuk.net/at-home-hosting-scheme/
If you are interested in supporting asylum seekers accommodated in your local area, we strongly encourage you to contact your local Caritas agency/CSAN member to learn how to best do this.
It is not encouraged for individuals to visit hotels and accommodation centres to provide individual support due to safeguarding concerns. To locate your local CSAN member, please see our site for our list of members:
CSAN has 52 member organisations and diocesan agencies, all of whom can be found on our website: https://www.csan.org.uk/member/
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