Lutheran bishops call for more humane legislation on foreigners

Archbishop defends church's right to criticise officials

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Bishops of Finland's Evangelical-Lutheran Church are calling for better treatment of asylum seekers.
     "This (the treatment of applicants) can be a question of life and death", noted Gustav Björkstrand, the Bishop of Porvoo at a press conference linked with the Bishops' Conference being held in Karjaa.
     "My own starting point would be to change legislation in a more humane direction, so that it would better correspond with people's sense of justice", he said.
     The issue came up during unofficial discussions concerning topical issues. Lutheran congregations in Turku and Kuopio have given protection to asylum-seekers whose applications have been rejected.
      Jorma Vuorio, Director-General of the Directorate of Immigration, has criticised church representatives for trying to "give instructions" to officials, and for using the media for their own purposes.
     
Archbishop Jukka Paarma defended the right of the church, as well as civic organisations to criticise officials, and to take part in social debate.
     "That strengthens democracy, and can change legislation", he pointed out.
      As Parma sees it, the church is not deliberately "looking for a conflict" with the state when it protects asylum seekers and draws attention to the shortcomings of legislation.
      "In line with its calling, the church wants to help people in distress. At the same time we are trying to work together with officials."
      In Paarma's view, this means that the church can offer protection for an asylum seeker, while not actually hiding the person from the authorities. Archbishop Paarma nevertheless pointed out that history also knows extreme cases in which the church has had to actually go against worldly power.
     
Espoo Bishop Mikko Heikka took as an example the church in Sweden, which is "about twenty years ahead of us".
      "They have successfully both defended individual asylum seekers, and affected legislation."
      "In this respect, Sweden's path is also ours", Heikka said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Court blocks forced repatriation of Iranian Kurdish woman (10.9.2007)
  Iranian Kurd protected by church to be deported (4.9.2007)

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