18 December is International Migrants’ Day. The United Nations established this special day in 2000 to draw attention to the importance of migrants and their valuable contribution to sustainable development and to ensure respect for their human rights.
According to the World Bank Development Report 2023, which focuses on “Migrants, refugees and societies”, about 184 million people—2.3 percent of the world’s population—live outside their country of nationality. Almost half of migrants live in and a significant majority of them come from low- and middle-income countries.
Migration is a deeply human story, full of aspirations, challenges, hopes, and resilience, and is an enriching experience of encounter and cross-fertilization of our societies. Migration is also a resource for development. Thanks to the vital role migrants play with their talents, knowledge, cultures, and values, both host communities and communities of origin can achieve integral human development that leaves no one behind.
Therefore, in the Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti, pope Francis invites us all “to communicate with each other, to discover the gifts of each person, to promote that which unites us, and to regard our differences as an opportunity to grow in mutual respect. Patience and trust are called for in such dialogue, permitting individuals, families and communities to hand on the values of their own culture and welcome the good that comes from others’ experiences” [134]. Immigrants, if they are helped to integrate, are a blessing, a source of enrichment and new gift that encourages a society to grow [135] “.
Let’s listen to the voices and stories of hope of migrants from various countries, of their community organizations, and of national Caritas supporting them on their journey towards integration and full citizenship. Watch all the videos.