Helping Refugees in Spain Understand their Human Rights

With triple the refugees arriving in Spain in 2017, the National Church of Scientology of Spain works with immigrant groups to help secure their rights.

Committed to human rights for all, the Madrid-based National Church of Scientology of Spain is working with immigrant rights groups to educate refugees on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) so they understand and can stand up for their rights.

Volunteers from the Madrid chapter of United for Human Rights, the human rights initiative the Church supports, reached out to refugees at the immigration office in Madrid to inform them about the 30 articles of the UDHR. They were joined by members of Asociación FOARE, a nonprofit organization that helps orient, train and provide assistance to refugees and immigrants.

The Church also hosted a human rights open house featuring leaders in civil society concerned with the rights of refugees.

This program was part of an ongoing campaign to empower this marginalized community. In November 2017, the Church hosted a seminar conducted by Ivan Arjona, Director of the Church of Scientology European Office of Public Affairs and Human Rights, in coordination with Asociación FOARE and Fundacion VIDA, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) with consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The seminar focused on Article 14 of the UDHR: “Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.”

The educational materials of United for Human Rights make it very simple for anyone to assimilate the basic concepts expressed in the 30 articles of the UDHR and help them share this knowledge with others through an illustrated booklet and audiovisual properties that bring each of the rights to life.

The Church of Scientology and Scientologists support United for Human Rights and its program for young people, Youth for Human Rights. These groups engage in collaborative efforts with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations to bring about broad-scale awareness and implementation of the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.