Pakistani Christians were forced to leave Pakistan after being persecuted.  The Thailand government has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, and Thailand has no formal national asylum framework.  These Christians escaped Pakistan’s blasphemy law, where families are falsely accused and their homes and churches are burned, young girls forced into marriages. They ran to Thailand on visitor visas and when their visas expired, the people went under constant risk of arrest. Those arrested are taken to the Immigration Detention Center (IDC) in Thailand.   So far, 13 people have died.  One woman was pregnant, the baby died in her womb.  Because no help was given her, she also died, and it took 5 days after her death to release the body.   Now they are sending many back to Pakistan who had been held in the IDC where they are again incarcerated in Pakistan unless they can pay a high bribe.  

 

Pakistani Christian refugees in Thailand are facing insurmountable hardships.  ICCF is dedicated to providing these asylum seekers with immediate relief services and advocacy.  In 2016 we provided food for fifty families for 6 months and toys for a hundred children. In 2017 we are providing food for ten families whose mother or father are in the IDC.  We need more contributions!  Currently 100 people are imprisoned in the IDC (30 women, 18 under age 18, 52 men) Awareness and Advocacy: The suffering faced by Pakistani Christians in Thailand has not garnered enough attention or support.

 

 

Living Conditions

 

Refugees are forced to live in unhygienic environments and they cannot afford the food and rent since they are unable to work

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Education: Children are living in squalor, indefinitely, and have no access to education of any sort.

 

 

ICCF Solutions:

 

Sending money for living expenses (food and rent).

 

Petition non-profits/Christian organizations to provide homeschooling supplies and materials for children in need of education.

 

To shed light on the Pakistani refugees' current suffering and tell their story to churches and organizations across the world so that welcoming countries can provide settlement as a permanent solution.