As Refugees Flood Into U.S., Chinese Christians Told To Wait
By Susan Crabtree
RCP Staff
January 29, 2023AP
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On Christmas Eve, members of Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, who fled China several years ago, had their celebrations abruptly cut short.
The congregation had initially sought refuge in South Korea, but was denied a haven there after three years of immigration court proceedings. The next port of call was Thailand, which they hoped would be a peaceful, if temporary, home before being granted sanctuary in the United States. But on December 24, the landlord for the apartments where the 64 church members – roughly half adults and half children – were staying suddenly informed them that Thai police had demanded copies of all their passports, IDs, and visas.
Their visas had expired in October after the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok insisted that all the church members present them for “examination” when they attempted to renew them, advocates for the church told RealClearPolitics.
If church members refused to produce the documents, their landlord directed them to leave immediately – within hours – even though their rent had been paid through January. There was a greater worry, too. The church members knew that Thai authorities had a history of working with the Chinese government to draw Chinese nationals out of hiding, arrest them, and send them back to their homeland.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2023/01/29/as_refugees_flood_into_us_chinese_christians_told_to_wait_148785.html
