By Chris Eyte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As European nations finalize preparations for a major shift in migration policy next month, church leaders gathered in Bucharest in April warned that faith communities must prepare for a \u201cnew phase\u201d of humanitarian need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The executive committee of the Churches\u2019 Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) launched the fourth edition of its \u201cMapping Migration\u201d report during a two-day meeting hosted by AIDRom, an ecumenical organization representing Orthodox and Protestant churches in Romania. The report serves as a comprehensive record of how churches across the continent are navigating displacement crises that have defined the past decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The gathering comes as the European Union\u2019s Asylum and Migration Pact is set for full implementation on June 12. The new legal framework introduces mandatory border screenings and accelerated processing\u2014measures experts say will turn border nations like Romania into long-term holding hubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThrough screening and border procedures, Romania will see many people stuck at the external border,\u201d said Dr. Torsten Moritz, general secretary of the CCME. \u201cIt is very important that churches are responding to that.\u201dStay informed with The Christian Daily NewsletterSign up<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moritz noted that the choice of Bucharest for the meeting reflects the \u201cfrontline\u201d reality many member organizations now face. He pointed to AIDRom\u2019s recent efforts as a model for the wider church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAIDRom\u2019s work, in many ways, stands for a lot of our member organizations,\u201d Moritz said. \u201cIt has been deeply shaped by the response to displacement from Ukraine, by ongoing care for refugees from other countries, and by Romania\u2019s position at the external borders of the European Union.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cMapping Migration\u201d report details a shifting landscape in which migration is not only a social issue but also a transformative force within the church itself. The data shows that diverse congregations and migrant-led ministries are reshaping traditional European church structures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMigration work brings churches together in witness,\u201d Moritz said, adding that shared humanitarian challenges often bridge long-standing theological differences. \u201cWe are documenting and mapping migration and what churches are doing in their witness and their commitment to migrants and refugees in Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moritz described the report as a \u201cmirror\u201d intended to help churches recognize the scope of their own impact while also showing secular society the role of faith-based humanitarian work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are now symbolically handing back the results of that study to the churches in Europe,\u201d he said. \u201cSo they can understand what they are doing, and also show it to people outside the churches\u2014how important this witness is, and that other churches should be coming on board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With only weeks remaining before the new EU regulations take effect, the CCME is calling for strengthened capacity to respond to anticipated bottlenecks at Europe\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will need to see how we can best strengthen the churches in their witness for migrants and refugees throughout the EU, but also beyond,\u201d Moritz said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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