Migrants represent 3% of the global population. Put another way, 200 million people live in a different country from the one in which they were born. If put together, this population would be the world’s 10th largest country. Nearly half of all migrants are women – a new phenomenon as more women move independently of their families or male partners. This “feminization of migration” has resulted in other problems, known as the “care drain” where families are left without their womenfolk.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has 33 million people under its mandate – refugees, asylum seekers, exiles, internally displaced persons and stateless persons. At least 15% of all migrants are estimated to be involved in illegal immigration which is often fed by a parallel market of human trafficking and smuggling, and frequently run by organized criminals. These are some of the stark facts and figures presented in Rome at the Sixth World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees.
The challenge is put before the Church – how does a body that represents Jesus and continues His mission respond to such an overwhelming need? The response offered at the Congress could be summarized as twofold: to assume a theology of abundance and to engender a culture of solidarity.
A theology of abundance says there is more than enough on earth for everyone to live with dignity. We just have to share what God has given us, recognizing that God has given creation for the use of all. A culture of solidarity says that we all belong together as members of the human family, interdependent, each with a place and a part to play. There is no need to feel threatened by newcomers to our patch as there is enough for everyone and we all belong together.
So don’t turn migrants and refugees into the bad guys. They have a place and have something to offer just as the rest of us do. Rather, see them as an opportunity for society to be enriched and grow. As they come our way, they are not simply taking from what we have but are potential assets for our societies as they develop. There would be fewer cases like Ms. A’s if we approach the whole question in a different way, as the Church’s Congress hammered home in Rome.
The Eternal City itself holds a message. It is a magnet attracting people from around the world to its glories, its treasures, its culture, its history and as a center of faith. There, is a place where everyone can feel that they belong. We don’t have to be exceptional, just human and in touch with our humanity.
