5 Important Bible Verses about Loving Immigrants
Share
Immigration continues to be a major issue to many Americans. Conversations and arguments often happen around ideas of illegal or undocumented immigrants, refugees, and the proper process regarding people who want to move to the US, specifically along the southern border.
Along with Americans, immigration has become a heated topic in Europe. With wars and violent conflicts arising in that area of the world, EU nations must again look at their policies and how to handle the influx of people.
The immigration discussion balances legality and compassion, and seeking the best route forward becomes murky when individuals and organizations on both sides of the political spectrum use fear tactics, call names, and demonize groups, no matter who they are.
For Christians, how should we engage with this discussion? God calls us to Kingdom principles, which includes both respect for the law and radical compassion. Whatever the political solution, the Father clearly expects us to show love to everyone, not least of which is the immigrant, as the Bible expresses.
Here then are five Bible verses about loving immigrants.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/bymuratdeniz
1. Accepting Others In
“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” (Leviticus 19:33-34).
In the Old Testament Mosaic Law, God instructs the Israelites to treat immigrants, or foreigners, with kindness and respect. Rather than being seen as outsiders or treated with suspicion, they were to be embraced and loved as though they were native-born members of the community. God roots this command in Israel’s own history, reminding them that they were once foreigners in Egypt and were oppressed. He calls Israel to remember their past experiences and show empathy toward immigrants.
God values every person, regardless of their background or nationality, and calls his people to do the same. Loving immigrants as oneself means showing compassion, hospitality, and fairness, recognizing their humanity and worth. The command to “love them as yourself” echoes the broader biblical principle of loving your neighbor (Matthew 22:39), which extends to everyone, including those from different cultures and lands.
For Christians, this verse challenges us to reflect God’s love by treating immigrants with dignity and kindness, breaking down barriers of division and fear, resisting an “us-verses-them” mentality. We should be inclusive, recognizing how God's love transcends borders and embraces all people.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/belchonock
2. Providing for Those in Need
“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:18-19).
God not only protects the most vulnerable in society, such as orphans and widows, but also extends his love and provision to immigrants. Many know the biblical theme of caring for widows and orphans, and the Mosaic Law includes the foreigner among them. God’s love for immigrants sets an example, calling us to do the same.
The command to love foreigners is deeply personal. God reminds the Israelites that they were once foreigners in Egypt, a time when they experienced oppression and hardship. The reminder fosters empathy and compassion, urging the Israelites to treat immigrants with kindness and love, as God treated them.
For Christians today, this passage teaches that loving immigrants is not a suggestion, but a reflection of God’s own character. God’s heart is for all people, and he calls believers to actively love and care for immigrants, providing for their needs and welcoming them into the community. Even if we never lived in another country, we all lived separate from the Kingdom, and God welcomed us as citizens of Heaven. In addition, we were spiritually poor and in dire need, and God reached out to us.
Our love to the stranger and immigrant reflects the Father’s justice and mercy and the Kingdom Gospel.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Mukhina
3. Protecting the Vulnerable
“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other’” (Zechariah 7:9-10).
Immigration, whether legal or undocumented, becomes an opportunity for oppression. A stranger or foreigner generally arrives at a disadvantage, whether ignorant of laws and culture or lacking language skills. Some people take advantage of those disadvantages for their own profit.
The Father commands his people to act with fairness and kindness, especially toward vulnerable groups, including immigrants. God makes it clear that his justice is not limited to legal matters but extends to how individuals treat others, particularly those who are marginalized or at risk of being mistreated. The foreigner, or immigrant, is again specifically mentioned alongside widows and orphans, highlighting that they, too, deserve protection and care.
God’s instruction to “administer true justice” calls believers to go beyond surface-level kindness and actively work to ensure that immigrants are treated fairly and compassionately in every aspect of society. The command not to oppress or plot evil against foreigners reflects the seriousness of treating them with dignity and respect.
Zechariah 7:9-10 teaches us that loving immigrants involves actively practicing justice and showing mercy. It calls us to challenge systems of oppression, extend compassion, and ensure that immigrants are not mistreated or excluded.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/seb_ra
4. Loving the Immigrant Is Loving Christ
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matthew 25:35).
Jesus, speaking to his followers, identifies himself with the hungry, thirsty, and stranger (or immigrant), showing that acts of kindness toward these individuals are acts of love toward Him.
Welcoming strangers is a key part of Christian discipleship. The word “stranger” here can refer to anyone who is foreign, unknown, or out of place — those who might be overlooked or marginalized. Jesus’ identification with the stranger highlights the deep connection between loving others and serving God. By inviting in the stranger, Christians demonstrate compassion and hospitality, providing both physical and emotional care.
The invitation to “invite me in” means more than providing shelter but also offering acceptance, belonging, and inclusion. Jesus makes it clear that how believers treat immigrants, strangers, and the marginalized reflects their love for him.
For Christians today, Matthew 25:35 teaches us that loving immigrants means opening our hearts and homes, offering kindness, food, and shelter, challenging us to see Christ in those who are new, displaced, or vulnerable, and to act with generosity and compassion. Through such actions, Christians embody the love of Christ and participate in his mission of caring for the least of these.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Pcess609
5. Welcome Others as Brothers and Sisters
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Ephesians 2:19).
In this passage, Paul speaks about the transformation that occurs through faith in Christ. Gentiles, once considered outsiders in relation to the covenant with Israel, are now welcomed into the family of God. They are no longer seen as foreigners or strangers but as equal members of God’s household, sharing in the same rights, blessings, and responsibilities.
In Christ, all divisions — whether based on nationality, ethnicity, or social status — have been removed. It reveals that the church is a place where all people, including immigrants, belong and are valued. Just as God has welcomed believers into his family, Christians are called to extend the same welcome to all people, regardless of background or nationality or ethnicity, treating them not as outsiders but as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Ephesians 2:19 shows us that loving immigrants means recognizing their equal worth in God’s kingdom. It calls believers to create communities where immigrants feel valued and embraced, reflecting the unity and love that comes from being part of God’s family. This love transcends cultural or national boundaries, embodying the inclusive nature of the gospel.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Rawpixel
