Migration as an invitation for the future: A message from the President and Secretary General

In a year deeply marked by economic crisis, hundreds of thousands of migrants have lost jobs that provided indispensible income to their families back home. Lacking and losing opportunities abroad, some have since made the decision to return to their country of origin to await better times, while others have desperately taken even higher risks in search of a means to ensure a subsistence for their loved ones.

Nonetheless, very little attention has yet been given to the many individual, social and societal effects of the crisis at the global level. Instead, the focus has been placed primarily on economic aspects: on the major financial and political challenges to “putting the system back together,” and to measures that aim to protect national economies and labour markets.

This is, in part, a reflection of the fact that societies today are generally defined more in terms of functionality and economic value than they are in terms of human dignity and well being. So much energy and financial resources are devoted to alleviating the suffering, yet much more needs to be invested in order to avoid altogether many of the dramatic situations that migrants, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and other displaced people experience first hand. Incidentally, these situations arise, not so much from natural causes or man-made conflicts, but rather more so from the absence of frameworks that can adequately ensure the necessary levels of protection.

This lack of legal protection frameworks was felt even more strongly in 2009: victims of violence and trauma continued to be pushed back in the their attempted boat crossings, migrant domestic workers continued to see their rights violated and family members continued to struggle in their separation from one another. Together with the economic crisis and the long-term impact it will have on migrant families for many years to come, today’s realities therefore “oblige us to re-plan our journey, to set ourselves new rules and to discover new forms of commitment,” as we address the fundamental need to revise societal models in a longer-term perspective.

As a Church commission acting on behalf of the Bishops’ Conferences worldwide, the International Catholic Migration Commission emphasizes the need for concerted action, for enhanced collaboration at inter-governmental level and, above all, for developing a more pro-active attitude that will contribute to restoring dignity and inspiring change.

Migration, we believe, is an invitation to the future; it is not a threat to past or present systems and societies, nor is it only about people leaving one place for another. It is part of a process bringing all of humanity closer together, unavoidably affecting the whole of mankind.

As we look to 2010, we recognize today’s long-term challenges as an “opportunity for discernment in which to shape a new vision for the future” , and express great hope that the coming year will provide the courage to continued advocacy against xenophobia, racism and policies of exclusion, a renewed commitment to human dignity and family well being and the societal cohesion that will bring us one step closer to an enriched global, human existence.

With special appreciation of our members, partners, donors and staff over the last 58 years, we look forward to continuing to serve those most in need, and thank you for your ongoing support and engagement.

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