Baptists Call on Government to Do More for Migrant Workers

Baptists have unanimously endorsed a public resolution at the Baptist Assembly in Brighton calling on the government and churches to do more for migrant workers.

The resolution calls upon the Government "to provide adequate legal protection for these migrant workers and their families".

It also "calls on churches to provide essential care and support for migrant workers and their families, and to speak out against instances of injustice and exploitation".

The resolution was proposed by David Doonan, former President of BMS World Mission, who highlighted the racial abuse and exploitation many migrant workers face at the hands of some gangmasters.

"We are calling for an end to this new form of slavery," he said. Hilary Woolmer, Chair of Trustees for the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping, seconded the motion calling on local councils to do more inspections of migrant workers' living and working conditions to ensure high standards are met.

For the Baptist Union of Great Britain, supporting migrant workers is very much a live issue. At the Assembly on Sunday morning, the denomination launched its new DVD A Baptist People United in Mission which features Jorge and Hermelinda Damasceleno, a Brazilian couple being funded by Baptists to work amongs Portuguese-speaking migrant workers in Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Warwickshire. Recently Mr Volodymyr Makyeyev from the Ukraine has been given a visa to start up a similar project supporting Eastern European migrant workers in Hereford.

Baptist Union of Great Britain General Secretary Jonathan Edwards welcomed the passing of the resolution. "The challenge that is posed by the flood of migrant workers arriving in this country is one that we cannot ignore. There are many reports of abuse and exploitation, and most of these workers live in very poor conditions."

He also expressed his support for the initiatives that many Baptist churches are taking to welcome migrant workers and show them practical support.

"We will do what we can but we urgently call on the Government to engage in a co-ordinated way with the massive challenges that are posed by this influx of migrant workers," he said.