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Christian Refugees fr om Pakistan
Cry for Help
Christian Freedom
International releases a new video documenting the plight of
Christian refugees
from Pakistan
persecuted for
their faith.
However, the
"reality" for Joseph and many
other Pakistani
Christians seekBANGKOK, Thailand, -ing asylum at the
More than half the 14 milUNHCR in Banglion refugees and asylum- kok is far differseekers under the mandate ent than what is
of the United Nations refu- "supposed" to
gee agency world-wide do happen.
not actually live in the
camps they are associated After arriving in
with. A growing number live Bangkok and
illegally in cities and towns immediately
around the world. Across
making application for asyAsia alone, from India to
lum as a persecuted Christhe Pacific islands, there
tian, Pastor Joseph reare about half a million
ceived his "person of consuch "urban refugees" ac- cern" card from the UNcording to the UN agency. HCR. His "hearing" for asyChristian Freedom Interna- lum is scheduled for years
tional has documented the from now.
plight of Christian refugees
from Pakistan in a newly
His tourist visa has long
released video.
since expired.
After receiving numerous
death threats and beatings
from Muslim militants, Pastor Joseph Aswar, his wife,
and two children sold their
home and everything they
owned in Pakistan to flee
the country.
Joseph, an educated, capable man, cannot work
because he is now in Thailand "illegally."
He and his family, and
many other Christian asylum seekers from Pakistan
pray each day for their next
They paid an "agent" a
meal. Their children cannot
large sum of money in La- go to school and they share
hore, and came to Thailand a room in a Bangkok slum
as "tourists" to apply for
with another Christian famiasylum with the United Na- ly, all living in the one room
tions High Commissioner
flat, sleeping on the floor.
for Refugees (UNHCR) in
Bangkok.
Joseph and his family receive no help from the UNIn theory and according to HCR and they must survive
international law, the UNin the "shadows" while they
HCR is supposed to protect await their hearing. He and
and provide for the basic
many other Christian asyneeds of asylum seekers
lum seekers from Pakistan
while they wait for a hearlive day to day in fear of
ing to decide their fate.
arrest and deportation because they have no visas,
If granted asylum by the
and Thailand never signed
UNHCR, Pastor Joseph
the 1951 U.N. Refugee
and his family will be able
Convention that protects
to resettle in a free country, refugees' rights.
where Christians are not
As bad as his current conditions are, Joseph says he
is thankful to be in Thailand. He cannot go back to
Pakistan as he and his
family face certain death.
Pastor Joseph misses his
home, church, and friends
and family in Pakistan, but
he knows he must keep
looking forward, not backward.
An "Uncaring" Bureaucracy
Persecuted Christian
"urban refugees" scrape by
in limbo, even more vulnerable than refugees living in
a refugee camp.
To make matters worse,
the UNHCR in Bangkok is
an enormous, uncaring,
inefficient bureaucracy that
provides little to no help to
Christian asylum seekers.
According to Christian
Freedom International
president, Jim Jacobson, "It
is a heartbreaking travesty
how the UNHCR treats
Christian asylum seekers. It
is wrong, and this needs to
be investigated and corrected before donor nations
give another penny to the
UN."
For more info visit:
www.christianfreedom.org.