An excerpt from the Huffington Post -
Church Holds Continuous Worship Service To Prevent Family’s Deportation
Dutch police aren’t allowed to enter churches during services. So a Netherlands church is worshipping 24/7 to protect a family of asylum-seekers.
By Carol Kuruvilla
After hearing that a refugee family faced imminent deportation, a Netherlands church sprung into action ― and members have continued stepping up for over one month.
Bethel, a church and community center in The Hague, has taken dramatic steps to protect the Tamrazyans, an Armenian family of five asylum-seekers who have lived in the Netherlands for nine years. The government has reportedly denied the family’s asylum request and approved them for deportation ― even though there’s a law in place that allows children who have lived in the country for over five years to be eligible for a residence permit, if they also fulfill other requirements. The Tamrazyans applied for a permit under that law and were denied, according to Bethel.
Knowing that Dutch law prevents police officers from entering houses of worship during religious services, church members decided to hold a nonstop worship service at Bethel that would allow the Tamrazyans to take shelter in the church.
The continuous worship service started on Oct. 26 at 1:30 p.m. ― and it hasn’t stopped since.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/church-worship-service-continuous-asylum_us_5bfd636ae4b03b230fa72d08
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