Matthew 25:35 states, “I was a stranger and you invited me in.” In this verse, Jesus is talking about outsiders. More to the point, he is reflecting on caring for outsiders. He isn’t indicating that strangers be sent away.  

In Hebrews 13:2, the topic comes up again, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” This verse again encourages believers of Christ to treat strangers with kindness, even providing an indication that there can be divine encounters through such generosity. 

Moving into Romans 12:13 it is stated that you should “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality,” and in 1 Peter 4:9 it states, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” These versus seem to indicate that we should be taking care of each other. If someone is looking for a better life, then these versus are not saying to send them back to where they came from, but rather indicate that hospitality should be offered and that Christians should be looking at those in need not as “foreigners” but as fellow citizens (Ephesians 2:19, Galatians 3:28). 

The Old Testament…

While the focus for many Christians is on the new laws of the New Testament, the Old Testament contained many directives as well regarding the treatment of foreigners. In Deuteronomy 10:19 it states, “And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” This is a call to extend hospitality. While this was written to the Israelites as part of Moses’ message, the situation aligns with the United States today. 

There is also Exodus 22:21, “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt,” which again is about the Isrealites, but provides a parallel.

And of course, when it comes to the treatment of those from other countries, the clearest of scriptures is Leviticus 19:33-34:

“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

If you look closely at the Bible, it seems clear what the expectations are for how foreigners should be treated within a nation that so many claim to be Christian.

But wait…. Ezera 10

There is one case where foreigners were sent away in the Bible. This is in Ezera 10. If, however, you look closely at this situation, the foreign wives and children were not sent away because they were foreigners, but rather because they were causing negative spiritual influence.

This brings us back to Leviticus 19:34. It seems like any nation professing to be Christian and follow the teachings of the Bible should be open to accepting foreigners so long as they are not causing negative spiritual influences.