A Syrian Orthodox church in Vienna is helping asylum seekers from the war in Syria, it was reported in late August.
Buildings at the church are being converted into accommodation for people going through the asylum process. The Bible Society in Austria is also offering the asylum seekers Arabic Bibles, often one of the few things they own, having left everything behind.
Austria has the highest number of asylum seekers per capita in Europe. Some 80,000 are expected to arrive there this year alone. That follows 28,000 in 2014 and 17,000 in 2013. Asylum requests for Austria – a country with a population of just eight million people – rose nearly 180% in the first five months of 2015.
The church is key to helping people as they go through the asylum process and, if they are granted asylum, after it.
The people being helped by the church represent a few extended families that were rescued when they fled Syria and brought to Austria about 18 months ago. They came in a tranche of goodwill from the UN and their flights were paid for by the congregation in Vienna.
