今天，難民議題在全球各地都被視為負面新聞。這種情況在過往並非經常如此，但現在許多西方政府正在掙扎，試圖平衡同情心與移民政策、防止非法移民，以及處理難民重新安置的問題。常常被右翼政治推波助瀾的公眾聲音，正在提出尖銳的問題，並要求採取保護主義行動來防止過度同化。理性擔憂現在已經跟種族主義為鄰為伴，而同理心則弱化成惺惺作態。
大約在公元前1400年（有些人認為更早），同一情景在古埃及上演。當時一群游牧猶太人因為地區饑荒而進入埃及尋找食物。資源豐富的埃及政府為此建立了龐大的穀物儲備，歡迎這些移民，並讓他們以工作回報接待。多年後，新的政府上台，對於這些已經規模相當的特定民族群體感到焦慮，擔心他們可能成為政治威脅。但同時，他們又依賴這些勞動力來實現國家雄心勃勃的建設計劃。他們的解決方案是奴役、殘酷和試圖進行種族滅絕，以便按自己的利益來控制局勢。而上帝的解決方案，則是讓這些移民得自由來見證祂的良善與大能，並以此榮耀祂。
今天，在香港大約有15,000名尋求庇護者，正在尋求政府承認他們為成功獲批的聲請者（successful claimants）。政府仔細地依照法律和聯合國公約協議進行篩選程序，以確保那些面臨政治逼害或生命威脅的人不會被遣返。然後，政府將處理成功獲批的申請者並將其轉送至第三國的責任，交給聯合國難民事務高級專員公署（UNHCR）；這些第三國家將接收他們，並在適合的情況下提供公民身份。整個過程使香港政府能夠履行其長期以來不接受難民在香港定居的政策。實際上，整個程序往往需要數年時間，才能做出最終決定，方可執行。與此同時，許多尋求庇護者生活在不確定的狀態中，幾乎沒有得到任何認可和支持；而成功獲批的申請者則在一個日益排斥他們的政治氣候裡，等待重新安置。
當我在香港當牧師，有幸認識許多尋求庇護者，與他們同行。
我想起J，他在非洲目睹父親被射殺，並因為自己屬於那個「錯誤的」部落而不得不逃命，最終病重，被一位不認識的朋友送到香港。他因為在香港受到的對待而變得非常沮喪，甚至試圖自殺，最後被上帝釋放，成為一名宣教士。
我想起PV，他曾被困於一場漫長的叛亂裡，隨著戰線在鄉村地區來回推進，他先後受到雙方的威脅和折磨，最終要逃命來到香港，在街頭流浪，直到被拘留。在那裡他遇到了一群信奉聖經的基督徒，他們也是尋求庇護者。當上帝最終釋放他，他和朋友們就來到我們的教會，成為難民事工的創始成員之一。
我想起S，他曾是一名軍隊將領，政府被叛軍推翻後，他不得不逃命。當上帝釋放他，他便成為一位充滿熱誠的傳道者，一有機會就分享其生命信息。
我想起R，他作為基督徒，在一個穆斯林國家掙扎求存，因違反伊斯蘭文化的規則而生命受到威脅。他逃到香港，努力尋找生命意義，直到上帝釋放他，成為「院牧型」探訪者，去探望香港拘留中心裡的尋求庇護者。
這些人和許多其他人雖已被上帝釋放，並得以在香港事奉祂，但他們卻未能擺脫被指稱為非法移民所承受的污名和歧視，即使他們被確認為成功獲批的聲請者之後，仍然如此。尋求庇護者在資格審查的過程中，雖然得到禮貌的對待，但種種艱辛和漫長的法律申請程序，對於庇護者尋求基本人權來說，並不友善。
作為基督徒，我們行事為人要以聖經的教導作衡量準則。我們自當要關顧那些尋求庇護者，因他們都是我們的弟兄姊妹。然而，作為耶利哥路上的同行者，我們應該要實踐更大的使命，就是「當為貧寒的人和孤兒伸冤，為困苦和窮乏的人施行公義。」（詩八十二3），「你當為不能自辯的人開口，為所有孤獨無助者伸冤。你當開口按公義判斷，當為困苦和貧窮的人辯護。」（箴卅一8-9）。我們的生活應與周圍的人息息相關，因為上帝呼召我們要「入世」。當我們幫助那些被邊緣化的人，為他們發聲，世界才能看到我們是「不屬這個世界的人」。
Unwelcome
Tony Read
Today, refugees are bad news all around the world. It has not always been so, but many western governments are currently wrestling with the issues of how to balance compassion with immigration, how to prevent illegal migration, and how to deal with relocation. The public voice, often fuelled by right wing politics, is asking searching questions and demanding protectionist action against over-assimilation. Rational concerns are now bordering on racism, and empathy is dissolving into the mere ‘wringing of hands’.
Around 1400BC （some place it earlier） this same scenario played out in Ancient Egypt when a group of nomadic Jews entered the country to find food because of a regional famine. At that time Egypt was well resourced and had vast stores of grain established by the administration for just such an issue as this. It welcomed the immigrants and put them to work as repayment for their hospitality. Many years later a new administration came into power and became anxious about these immigrants who had grown into a sizeable distinct ethnic group and feared that they might became a political threat. But at the same time they were dependent on their labour force for the nation’s ambitious construction programme. Their solution was slavery, brutality and attempted genocide in a bid to control the situation to their advantage. God’s solution was to free them to serve him as a witness to his goodness and power.
Today in Hong Kong we have around 15,000 asylum seekers who are seeking government recognition as successful claimants. The government carefully navigates its legal responsibilities and UN Covenant Agreements to conduct its own screening process to make sure that it does not repatriate to their home country those who would be in danger of persecution or face life threatening political situations. It then charges the UNHCR （United Nations High Commission for Refugees） with the responsibility for processing successful claimants to third countries that will accept them and eventually offer citizenship if appropriate. This entire process enables the HK government to fulfil its long standing policy of non-acceptance of refugee settlement in HK. In practice this whole procedure often takes many years before a final decision can be made and enacted. Meanwhile many asylum seekers are living in limbo with little recognition and minimal support; while successful claimants are awaiting for resettlement in a political climate that increasingly rejects them.
During my time in Hong Kong as a pastor I have personally been blessed to know and walk alongside many asylum seekers.
I think of Jxxx who witnessed his father being shot in Africa and had to flee for his life because he came from the wrong tribe, who became desperately ill, was transported to HK by a friend he does not know, became so depressed by his treatment in HK that he tried to take his own life, and was eventually freed by God to go and serve him as a missionary.
I think of P.Vxxx who got caught in the middle of a long drawn out insurrection, who was threatened and tortured by one side and then by the other as the battle front moved back and forth in their rural area. Eventually he fled for his life and came to HK where he lived on the streets until he was put into detention where he found a group of bible believing christians who were also asylum seekers. When he was eventually freed by God he came to our church with his friends and become one of the founding members of our asylum seeker ministry.
I think of Sxxx who was an army general in a government that got overthrown by rebel forces and had to escape for his life. When God freed him he became a passionate preacher and shared his life message whenever he had the chance.
I think of Rxxxx who struggled as a Christian in a muslim country and whose life was under threat for breaking the rules of islamic culture. He then fled to HK and struggled again to find meaning for his life until God freed him to become a ‘chaplain-like’ visitor to asylum seekers at detention centres in HK.
These and many others have become freed to serve God in Hong Kong but not freed from the stigma and discrimination of being designated as illegal immigrants, even after being recognised as successful claimants. While they are undergoing the screening process asylum seekers are given polite but minimal support necessary to comply with hard-won court proceedings requiring the government to recognise basic human rights commitments.
As christians we also have our own basic scriptural commitments to consider. We will of course naturally care for those asylum seekers who are part of our own congregations. However, we should also consider the wider injunctions as fellow travellers on the ‘Jericho road’. “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed” （Psalm 82:3）, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute, speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy” （Prov 31:8-9）. Our lives are intrinsically connected with those around us because God has called us to be ‘in the world’. When we help and advocate for the marginalised, it’s then that the world sees that we are ‘not of it’.
（作者為葡萄藤教會創辦牧師。本文屬「與難民同行．難民不爛」系列，英文原文及翻譯由難民事工小組提供，小組由香港的基督教教會和機構組成，一直以來支援在港難民和免遣返聲請者在房屋、教育、心理、生活上的需要，幫助他們融入社會。）
