“People on the move must be treated with dignity, and their rights must be guaranteed. Only in this way can we truly build a future with migrants and refugees”. On the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Caritas Internationalis reiterates its concern about the ever-worsening challenges people on the move have to face and invites everyone to consider migration as an opportunity for humanity today, acknowledging the important contribution each migrant and refugee can bring to the development of our societies.
“On this day, we uphold the Holy Father’s call to ‘Building the future with Migrants and Refugees’,” says Caritas Internationalis’ secretary general Aloysius John. “This theme is all the more important because today, our globalised world has more than 100 million refugees and hundreds of millions of migrants scattered around the world. Unfortunately, today we are far from building welcoming and inclusive societies,” he adds.
Caritas Internationalis stresses how we live in a time marked by major crises, the pandemic, the ecological and biodiversity crisis, and the conflicts around access to resources.
This source of growing inequalities and precariousness has forced millions of people to leave their homes and communities. They are pushed to the road of exile, leaving behind their parents, families, and sometimes even their children. “Often subjects of discrimination and marginalisation, people on the move cannot lead a decent life, although all persons who leave their homes have a right to seek safety, whoever they are, wherever they come from, and whenever they are forced to flee,” says John.
Caritas Confederation includes 162 member organisations worldwide on the frontline to receive, support, and accompany millions of migrants and refugees in their situation of distress.
In Pakistan, where the recent torrential rains and flooding caused the death of more than 1100 people and the displacement of 33 million people, Caritas is working alongside the government in supporting the affected villages and displaced people – including the Afghani refugees – who are lacking medicines, food, and water and whose livelihoods have been totally destroyed. In the Middle East, Caritas Jordan engages refugees and local communities in mutual activities that aim to enforce peaceful coexistence and social cohesion, which various actors support. In Bangladesh, Caritas enable Rohingya refugees to live a dignified life with access to basic needs, education, and health even in the camps. In Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador, Caritas is welcoming millions of migrants fleeing the dire situation in Venezuela. In Mali, a Gao Caritas has a centre to welcome migrants in transit and offer to them information, first assistance and support and temporary accommodation.
“These are just a few examples of our mission in supporting refugees and migrants, ensuring they live in security and dignity, their rights are respected, and helping them integrate into the host countries,” says John.
On the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Caritas Internationalis recalls that people on the move need humane treatment with dignity and must be given all the support needed to access safer conditions. “People on the move have the right to regular and legal migration pathways and must be received with care and concern. They also must be guaranteed access to basic needs, health, education, livelihoods, and income opportunities. If there is no political will to guarantee these basic rights, we will not be able to ‘build the future’ together. And ‘leave no one behind’ will remain an empty slogan,” concludes Aloysius John.