Although there are broad Biblical principles on immigration, God has not given us clear instructions on how to implement a border policy, and we cannot simply transpose commands to Old Testament Israel to 21st Century Britain!
Perspectives on immigration amongst Christians fall into two main camps: for some, caring for the foreigner is a matter of fundamental Christian ethics. Other Christians highlight the government’s responsibility – instituted by God – to pursue justice and fairness for its citizens.
Immigration is assumed within the Bible as a fact of life, and normally occurs out of necessity, whether as a result of natural or man-made causes; Abram migrates to Egypt due to famine; David flees to the Philistines due to persecution from Saul. As Christians, God has given us a specific call to defend those who cannot defend themselves (eg. Proverbs 31:8-9), and the foreigner is one of the ‘quartet of the vulnerable’ highlighted within the Old Testament. Jesus – who spent time himself as a refugee – declared that he had come to bring “good news to the poor”, and brought healing and wholeness to the outcasts.
But that doesn’t mean that within the ancient world, every nation had an open-border policy. In Numbers 20, we read about how Moses wanted to pass through Edom, and sent messengers to their king to ask for permission. Ultimately, he was refused access. Property was protected, and borders were established with boundary stones. Immigrants within Mesopotamia lived in foreign nations at the nation’s generosity: there were reasons why they might not be allowed to stay (eg. Genesis 26).
The immigration debate today conflates different types of immigrant into one overall net migration figure, which includes foreign university students (who the Government are keen on) to those crossing the channel in small boats (quite the reverse). But not all immigrants are the same; there was a distinction in Old Testament law between ‘resident aliens’ (Hebrew: ‘ger’), who were legally permanent residents of Israel, and ‘sojourners’ (Hebrew: ‘nekhar’ or ‘zar’) who were only in Israel for a time.
Governments’ primary calling is to help their citizens to thrive. God’s purpose for government is to safeguard society and to work for our good (Romans 13:4). This might mean the government supporting certain types of immigration, if they think it is for society’s good. But it also might mean they oppose it too, for other reasons (such as the impact on housing, or for questions around multiculturalism).
The Old Testament talks less about whether resident aliens should be allowed to come, but on how they should be treated once they had arrived. On this, God was clear: they were to be treated the same as someone born in Israel, with access to the same legal protections, and even being allowed to take part in the Jewish festivals. This was quite different to the laws in surrounding nations. As Christians, we are to speak on behalf of the vulnerable: if we see foreigners living here legally who are not being treated fairly, it is a Christian imperative to speak up on their behalf.
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17If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’
