This Sunday and next Sunday, churches across the world will recognise Refugee Sunday. Refugee Sunday aligns with World Refugee Week, which in 2025 is themed around diversity in community, emphasising the vital role community plays in all our lives.
Across Australia, a significant portion of our Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Baptist churches have refugee backgrounds. In Victoria, 65% of Baptist Union of Victoria member churches are CALD, and more than half of these are refugee background. The global refugee story is a significant part of our Australian Baptist story and will continue to be in the future.
Jude Simion, an elder at Heartbeat Church (formerly Regents Park Baptist Church) also serves as the Executive Director of Philoi Global, which works with refugees and asylum seekers across the world. Philoi Global responds to the humanitarian gaps of persecuted minorities through relief, relocation and resettlement.
In Greek, ‘Philoi’ means ‘friends’ (φίλοι). In John 15:14, Jesus said: ‘You are my friends (φίλοι) if you do what I command.’ In the Ancient Hellenistic Kingdom, it was a title meaning the ‘royal friends’ of a king. Just as friends journey together, Philoi journeys with the forcibly displaced in their courageous search for safety.
In many parts of the world, Christians are forcibly displaced from their homeland due to persecution. Refugees, especially persecuted minorities, often encounter countless challenges in their search for safety. Globally, their difficulties are seldom known or noticed.
Philoi walks alongside over 60 Afghan families, many of whom have sought refuge in Pakistan. Most fled to Islamabad after escaping violence and persecution in Afghanistan. In early 2025, the Pakistani government announced its decision to deport all Afghan nationals – regardless of their status or circumstances.
In response, Philoi acted swiftly, relocating over 34 families to a neighbouring province. The team helped them to secure temporary visas while they awaited the outcome of their applications in Australia. The situation on the ground was chaotic. Policies were changing daily; there was little clarity and even less compassion.
Pictured: Photo taken by Roxana of her children, as they waited in the detention camp in Pakistan, May 2025.
Among those affected was Roxana*, a former military nurse who had served with the Afghan forces. The Taliban threatened to execute her because she became a Christian (apostasy), for her work with the previous government, and her outspoken advocacy on women’s rights on TV. The family were forced to leave when the Taliban took over in 2021. In May, 2025, Roxana and her three small children were detained by Pakistani authorities and forcibly deported back to Afghanistan. Her husband, still in Pakistan, was left behind – anxious, helpless, unsure of his family’s safety.
“I went to the detention camp today,” he wrote. “I begged them not to deport my family; I told them the visa approvals were coming by Sunday afternoon. But they refused to listen. May the Lord Jesus protect them.” The Pakistani authorities insisted on written confirmation from the Australian Embassy that Roxana and her children had applied for humanitarian visas.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) stepped in to mediate, but the Embassy refused to provide any official documentation. Without this confirmation, nothing could prevent the deportation. Philoi had exhausted all avenues to secure their safety in time. Although a Pakistani visa application was underway, it wasn’t processed quickly enough.
Roxana and her family’s journey is not yet over.
The path to safety is still uncertain, but we remain steadfast in walking alongside them. We invite you to pray with us – for God’s protection and direction over this precious family, and for strength and endurance for our Philoi frontline workers as they continue to help our friends find a way forward.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2
To find out more about Philoi Global visit their website or contact Jude at jude@philoiglobal.org. If you’re looking for a way to help your church engage in Refugee Sunday, resources are available at http://www.iwas.live/, a partner of Philoi Global.
*Names changed for to security purposes
