Pope Francis’ message for World Day of Peace, which falls on New Year’s Day, has been released, where he urges the faithful to “embrace all those fleeing from war and hunger, or forced by discrimination, persecution, poverty, and environmental degradation to leave their homelands.”
Reflecting on the theme “Migrants and refugees: men and women in search of peace”, the Holy Father said that everyone, especially “those who most keenly suffer its absence”, aspires for the peace “which the angels proclaimed to the shepherds on Christmas night.”
They go as far as risking their lives on “long and perilous” journeys, only to encounter “fences and walls built to keep them far from their goal.”
“Many destination countries have seen the spread of rhetoric decrying the risks posed to national security or the high cost of welcoming new arrivals, and thus demeaning the human dignity due to all as sons and daughters of God. Those who, for what may be political reasons, foment fear of migrants instead of building peace are sowing violence, racial discrimination and xenophobia, which are matters of great concern for all those concerned for the safety of every human being,” he said.
The Pope continued: “All indicators available to the international community suggest that global migration will continue for the future. Some consider this a threat. For my part, I ask you to view it with confidence as an opportunity to build peace.”
Everyone belongs to one family and has “the same right to enjoy the goods of the earth.”
He encouraged people to look at migrants – including refugees – as bringing with them “courage, skills, energy, and aspirations, as well as the treasures of their own cultures” when they arrive. “(I)n this way, they enrich the lives of the nations that receive them.”
In its World Migration Report 2018, the United Nations’ migration agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that there has been a significant increase in displacement in recent years internally and across borders. This is largely due to “civil and transnational conflict, including acts of violent extremism outside actual war zones.”
IOM noted that in 2016, there were 40.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide, and 22.5 million refugees.
The plight of Rohingya refugees, in particular, have been making headlines all over the world since August this year. The minority ethnic group have been fleeing Myanmar’s Rakhine state, as security forces cracked down on Rohingya militant attacks. The UN has denounced this as ethnic cleansing, while Myanmar, says they are fighting “terrorists” who have killed civilians and burnt villages.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, as of December 15, “an estimated 650,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh… Some 100 a day are entering Bangladesh.”
Pope Francis advocated for a strategy of “welcoming, protecting, promoting, and integrating.”
“‘Welcoming’ calls for expanding legal pathways for entry and no longer pushing migrants and displaced people towards countries where they face persecution and violence. It also demands balancing our concerns about national security with concern for fundamental human rights,” he explained.
“‘Protecting’ has to do with our duty to recognize and defend the inviolable dignity of those who flee real dangers in search of asylum and security, and to prevent their being exploited. I think in particular of women and children who find themselves in situations that expose them to risks and abuses that can even amount to enslavement,” he said.
As for “promoting”, it “entails supporting the integral human development of migrants and refugees. Among many possible means of doing so, I would stress the importance of ensuring access to all levels of education for children and young people. This will enable them not only to cultivate and realize their potential, but also better equip them to encounter others and to foster a spirit of dialogue rather than rejection or confrontation.”
Finally, “integrating” means “allowing refugees and migrants to participate fully in the life of the society that welcomes them, as part of a process of mutual enrichment and fruitful cooperation in service of the integral human development of the local community.”
The Holy Father also looked forward to the drafting and approval of two Global Compacts by the UN next year: “one for safe, orderly, and regular migration; and the other for refugees.”
“As shared agreements at a global level, these compacts will provide a framework for policy proposals and practical measures,” he said.
