Latest UN Horror Show: Christian Refugees Ignored

Stand for Israel  |  August 5, 2019

Last year, Rabbi Eckstein journeyed to Jordan to visit some of the thousands of persecuted Christians who have taken refuge there, displaced from their homelands by terror and violence. But despite the aid given to these precious souls, they have been forgotten by the world. Gatestone Institute’s Uzay Bulut writes of the difficulties and rejection still being faced by the region’s persecuted Christians:

Since the 2014 invasion and genocide by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq, at least 16,000 Assyrian Christians from Iraq have become refugees in Jordan. Most are still suffering economically and psychologically there, under extremely difficult circumstances.

These Assyrian Christians are in Jordan on a temporary basis with plans to emigrate to a third country. However, as they have not been given official work permits by the Jordanian government, they largely rely on their savings, remittances sent by relatives abroad or aid from charity organizations and churches. Jordan is supposed to be their transit country; they are seeking resettlement in other countries…

Yet, the trauma of Assyrian Christians has not ended in Jordan, where they have been forced to flee. “The majority of those stuck in limbo have been waiting more than two years—some since the rise of ISIS in 2014,” according to the report. “Their wait for resettlement is characterized by limited information, uncertainty about their futures, and a growing sense of hopelessness.”

When asked about what factors drive them to seek resettlement in a third country, the Assyrian refugees cited the following reasons: “safety, religious freedom, respect for human rights, equal educational and economic opportunities, and family reunification…”