THE DIGNITY AND RIGHTS OF THE DISPLACED CANNOT BE IGNORED
WORLD REFUGEES DAY
20 JUNE 2022
Every person has the fundamental right to seek and enjoy asylum and on World Refugee Day 2022 Caritas Internationalis is raising its voice and expressing our concern about the lack of international solidarity in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers without discrimination. Their call for safety and for a life in dignity has mostly remained unheard and Caritas will not be deaf to the cry of the poor of our world or be silent about their plight and their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
In the first months of 2022, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide due to persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations, the highest levels of displacement on record.
From 2019-2021, more than 8,436 migrants, including asylum seekers, have lost their lives and 5,534 migrants have gone missing in transit.
On this day the worldwide Caritas Confederation stands by the millions of people who have had to flee their homelands due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and climate disasters.
Through the Humanitarian Corridors, European, Middle East and African Caritas Confederation Members have assisted, jointly with other faith-organizations, vulnerable asylum seekers fleeing from conflicts and violence to reach safe destinations and welcoming communities where to restart their lives. They have advocated for rescue and safe and secure disembarkation of people at risk of their lives in the Mediterranean and all across the world.
In these many ways, the Caritas Confederation stands with refugees and asylum seekers to save their lives and nurture a culture of encounter, non-discrimination and sharing. Providing all refugees and asylum seekers with access to basic services, vocational training and work opportunities both in the countries of transit and of destination, without any discrimination, is key to restore their dignity and their aspiration for a peaceful life.
In Jordan, where 83% of Syrian refugees currently reside, Caritas are working in collaboration with the government to find sustainable humanitarian solutions to alleviate the burdens faced by millions of men, women and children who are victims of war.
On behalf of Caritas Pakistan, Caritas Internationalis, has launched an Emergency Appeal from June 2022 to March 2023
This is evident in the dedicated work of Caritas staff and volunteers who, in the wake of the outbreak of war in Ukraine, were ready at the borders to support the thousands of vulnerable people fleeing in search of safety in neighbouring countries.
Caritas also stands by those who find themselves obliged to live for long periods in precarious settings like refugee camps. Caritas South Sudan and Caritas Uganda are particularly active in refugee and IDPs camps with educational programs and distribution of pieces of land to refugees living in camps, in collaboration with UNHCR, to allow them to restart living from their work.