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Refugees are arriving in large numbers along the rails to cross the Serbian-Hungarian border. Photo: Fekete Dániel/Hungarian Inter-church Aid/ACT Alliance

Refugees are arriving in large numbers along the rails to cross the Serbian-Hungarian border. Photo: Fekete Dániel/Hungarian Inter-church Aid/ACT Alliance

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Amidst the current refugee crisis, representatives of major international ecumenical organizations will embark on a solidarity visit to Hungary from 25 to 28 September.

In order to strengthen efforts to support refugees, ecumenical delegation will meet with Hungarian church leaders, government officials and members of international organizations.

The delegates represent the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME).

Responding to the refugee crisis is a priority for many church organizations working in the region. In a recent statement, WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit stressed that it is “absolutely and critically necessary that all European states take their proper responsibility in terms of reception and support for people seeking refuge, safety and a better future for themselves and their families. This cannot be left only to the states where they enter first.”

Headed by the WCC general secretary, the delegation includes Dr Audeh Quawas, member of the WCC Central and Executive Committee and the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Doris Peschke, general secretary of the CCME, Rev. Alfredo Abad, vice moderator of the CCME; Marianne Ejdersten, director of WCC Communication and Paul Jeffrey, photo-journalist.

In Hungary, the delegates are scheduled to meet Bishop Dr Tamás Fabiny of the Lutheran Church in Hungary and vice president of the Lutheran World Federation; Bence Rétvári, parliamentary state secretary, Ministry of Human Resources; Bishop Dr András Veres, president of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference; Bishop Dr István Szabó, ministerial president of the Synod of the Reformed Church in Hungary; Prof. Dr György Nógrádi of Corvinus University of Budapest; Dóra Kanizsai, director of the Refugee Ministry of the Reformed Church in Hungary; Dr Tamás Szűcs, head of the representation of the European Commission in Hungary, as well as Rev. Aaron Stevens, pastor at the St. Columba's Church of Scotland in Budapest and Dr Vilmos Fischl, general secretary of Ecumenical Council of Churches, Budapest.

Photos from the visit will be available at www.photos.oikoumene.org

For more information and interview requests, please contact:

Marianne Ejdersten, communication director, World Council of Churches.
E-mail: [email protected]. Phone: +41 79 507 6363 or +41 22 791 6704

Read full text of the WCC statement on refugees in Europe

WCC statement on responses to migrant crises

Videos from the CCME general secretary about refugee crisis in Europe

European churches encouraged to work together to address refugee crisis (WCC news release of 10 September 2015)

Migration and social justice