MONTREAL, QC-Immigration minister Judy Sgro believes the practice of granting asylum to refugees in churches is undermining the legal immigration and refugee process. In an interview with the Canadian Press published July 25, Sgro asked faith communities to stop the practice. She says some refugees are "using the churches as the back door" into Canada.

Darryl Gray, minister of Union United Church in Montreal, counters that Sgro is undermining the right of the church to continue a humanitarian practice that is as old as the Bible. "I think it’s inappropriate for a government minister to even speak to destroying what has been put in place by ancient scriptures," he says.

There are presently two families living in Montreal churches to avoid deportation. The Vega family, refugees from Colombia, recently passed the one-year mark at St. Andrew’s Norwood United Church.

An Ethiopian family, the Ayeles, is living at Union United Church.

Serious errors
According to the The United Church of Canada Web site, "In both cases, serious errors have been made in the refugee determination process, but the system currently has no means of appeal… Because of this, the congregations involved, like a growing number from many churches across Canada, have responded by offering sanctuary to the families facing deportation-and possible torture and death in their native countries."

The solution, according to Gray and many refugee advocates, is not to eliminate sanctuary but to fix the refugee system. This would include the implementation of a meaningful appeals process and a moratorium on deportation to countries where the situation is particularly violent.

Although Gray says he receives requests for sanctuary almost weekly, he turns most of them away. The church is not interested in offering asylum for economic refugees, but rather for those who are facing physical danger.

"If we feel that we have to give sanctuary to an individual or families, we will continue to do that in order to protect human life," says Gray.