Migrant communities celebrated their faith, cultural heritage and identity at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Dadar, Mumbai, on Sunday, September 27, as the parish marked the World Day of Migrants under the theme “Even Just One of the Children.”
Poverty, unemployment and economic hardship can make migrants and other vulnerable people targets for human traffickers, Bishop Adrianus Sunarko, OFM, of Pangkalpinang, Indonesia, warned Catholics attending an international seminar on migration.
The United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration (IOM) defines a migrant as “a person who moves away from his or her place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons.”
The Commission for Migrants of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council (TNBC) Commission for Migrants, organized a one-day training programme in Trichy on September 28, highlighting the Church’s commitment to migrants’ rights and dignity.
Every year International Migrants Day is observed on December 18. This day focuses on highlighting the contributions made by migrants across the world.
The lure of a well-paid job in a wealthy country is a powerful driver of international migration. The attraction has intensified as the difference in incomes among countries continue to grow.
