The extraordinary General Assembly of the Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) has issued a message “Together we can save a million vulnerable humans in Europe again!” The assembly was held 14 to 16 October 2021.

The message calls on European institutions, citizens and churches across Europe to protect a million of the most vulnerable refugees and migrants by bringing them to Europe.

In the message, delegates of 41 CCME Member Churches from 19 European countries have underlined the positive aspects of the year 2015 onwards, in which a million found protection. In doing so delegates also criticised the current tendency of European countries to keep refugees and migrants out or at the border – often summarised under the headline “no new 2015”.

The message notes with particular concern not only proposals in the new “asylum and migration pact” of the EU but also ongoing practice at the European external border to bar access to protection.

“There is a huge support for hosting refugees and welcoming migrants at local and regional level in churches and society across Europe,” said CCME moderator Dr Goos Minderman. “Policies have, however, resulted in hundreds of kilometres of fences and walls being built to keep them out. We need to reach out to churches and coalitions of the willing to tear down these fences and walls in Europe,” he added

Read full message of the 2021 CCME extraordinary General Assembly