News

Christian Aid Launches Campaign to 'Change the Story' About Refugees

Tuesday July 12

Now more than ever, churches in the UK have an important role to play in presenting and realising a vision of a future where every person is treated with inherent dignity and infinite worth, Christian Aid has said.

The international development charity yesterday launched “Change the Story”, a campaign to challenge and change the way refugees are portrayed.

Loretta Minghella, Chief Executive of Christian Aid, said: “Refugees are people fleeing violence, war and oppression. They are our sisters and brothers, each one of them made in the image of God. They have a legal right to seek sanctuary and to find safety, wherever they are from.

“But that principle has too often been lost. Recently our public debate around refugees has focused more on our differences than the common humanity we share, and the language used to depict refugees has too often been dehumanising, demeaning and divisive. Now, more than ever, we have to work together to change that story.”

The campaign calls on Chrisitian Aid supporters and others who want to get involved to write to their newspapers to share positive stories of welcome - and to call on the UK government to be bolder in its ambition to respond to the refugee crisis.