'Migrant workers are guests'

These three working at a construction site in a city have been residents in that city for two years now.

They have another 15 friends, who are from the same place, who work at other construction sites, but live together in one room without attached bath room or access to water. They earn two times or more from the jobs they hold here than what they would get at their native place. They are school drop outs or completed 10th grade but did not pass the exit examination. Each of them has aging parents and younger siblings  back at home dependent upon them for their livelihood.

They told me, that a church invited them for a special occasion and since then, they are invited for lunch every Sunday. These men and their friends do not go to work on Sundays for the sake of being at the church for the Sunday lunch and the social time they have with some members of the church and the vicar. Although, the communication between them has some difficulties, as the members of the church are not fluent in the language they speak, they feel accepted and cared for on such occasions. Now they are welcome for all the social occasions in the church, although none of them goes to the worship services held in the church.

I met with the vicar of the church to find out, what prompted them to welcome young people in such a caring way. Five of them were at work in the construction of a building at the church compound. It was through this experience they got to know them. He said to me, 'Migrant workers are our guests. They help us immensely for our needs. Yet, they are strangers to us. So we decided to welcome them to our midst'. 

In any city in the world, the migrant workers would be a separate group, who live reduced lives in difficult conditions such as poor housing, loneliness, substance abuse, etc.They live desperately and dangerously. They are used but not recognized or provided for, for their basic needs.

Let me comment this as a mission to the churches, social organizations, NGO'S. If we have migrant workers helping us in the campus where live, let us remember to enquire of their well being. We need them; let us make them feel wanted.

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)