From An Afghan City To A Scottish Village

Hamidah* and her family recently arrived from Afghanistan knowing no one and with only a few possessions they could carry.  When Hamidah discovered that she was being relocated to a remote village in Scotland she was very anxious about how she and her family would connect  and feel at home in a new community so different from their homeland.  After meeting Hamidah during a visit to her temporary accommodation in Hertfordshire, Welcome Churches stepped in and contacted a local church in the Welcome Network. Incredibly, it turned out that a church in Scotland had been praying for God to connect them with Afghan families whom they can welcome. Hearing about Hamidah and her family was an answered prayer and the church was eager to get connected. Hamidah and her family are now in a Scottish village surrounded by a supportive and loving church community and with reassurance of integration as they settle into a new home. 

Welcome Churches operates the Welcome Network, a UK-wide network of over 600 churches ready to welcome refugees & asylum seekers. Through training, equipping and empowering churches to overcome cultural barriers and welcome the stranger in their midst, Welcome Churches is working to see its vision of No Refugee Alone become a reality. We know that the journey of a refugee does not stop when they arrive in the UK, it is a long journey of integration and acceptance into a new community. We can all be part of this journey but opening up our arms to welcome refugees and asylum seekers.

Please note that Hamidah* is not her real name

Visit our website at welcomechurches.org/find to connect to a local church welcoming refugees and asylum seekers today!