Jesus once said to His followers that “for my namesake you will be persecuted”. This verse clearly fits on the 2,500 Pakistani Christians who fled their homeland facing persecution and found shelter in Thailand. It´s been 5 years that they are stateless with no hope for the future, trusting and relying only UNHCR, Thailand for being resettled to a third country where they can live like normal people because right now they live under constant fear of being caught by the Thai police and immigration. It is just like fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan and entering another persecution, fear, depression and hopelessness.
On October 9th, 2018, the Thai immigration conducted raids on the homes of Pakistani Christian asylum seekers, arrested more than 150 people and took them to Bangkok´s immigration detention center which is well known for its inhumane conditions and on top of that it’s unhygienic conditions as well. The Thai authorities have declared that they will deport the arrested asylum seekers back to Pakistan; a country they fled to save their lives, a country that can never assure the security of its minorities and it has repeatedly failed to protect Christians, a religiously intolerant Islamic Republic of Pakistan where the society triumphs on persecuting Non-Muslims especially Christians.
Even those who are recognized refugees by UNHCR are at risk as their bails are being cancelled and they are forced to surrender before the Thai immigration and being detained. The families are being apart, the future is uncertain and the risk of deportation and loss of life is obvious. UNHCR, Thailand has failed to negotiate the security of bailed out refugees as well as asylum seekers.
We appeal the international community to raise their voice against this injustice being done to persecuted Pakistani Christians in Thailand. We also appeal all the sovereign countries who respect the human rights to please accept these Christians in order to end their suffering. Every human regardless of race, color, creed or religion has the right to live freely and without fear and so does the Pakistani Christian refugees in Thailand. We appeal the countries who have been a role model in solving refugee’s crisis and accepting them with open arms, to stand beside these followers of Christ and love them as we love our self. Thank you very much.