Catholics resisting the acceptance of migrants and refugees into their communities is a worrying trend says Pope Francis. To help counter this, at his weekly audience on Wednesday Francis launched a two-year education campaign “Share the Journey” which is about the plight of migrants. Aimed especially at countering mounting anti-immigrant sentiment in the US and Read more
Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis has hit the headlines in recent weeks due to an extraordinary number of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar into Bangladesh. It is estimated that in less than three weeks, up to 400,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar. They are fleeing mass human rights violations and atrocities, including: the burning of villages and crops, using petrol and rocket Read more
Twenty-seven million child refugees have left school early in 24 countries involved in conflicts. A UNICEF report says migrant children and young people, with low levels of education, “run an ever greater risk of exploitation.” Of the minors who move on the route that connects the Mediterranean with Central Europe, the report found 90% of Read more
South Asia’s Catholic Church is responding to the Roghingya crisis with humanitarian assistance and advocacy. Hundreds of thousands of members of the Muslim minority have fled principally Buddhist Myanmar, where the military is conducting a “clearance operation.” The head of the Catholic Church in Myanmar, Archbishop of Yangon Cardinal Charles Bo, said he expects more Read more
Australia is viewed as “the promised land” by persecuted Catholics in the Middle East. An Iraqi Catholic priest says Australia has led the way in welcoming thousands of Christians who have been forced to leave their homes because of violence from radical militant groups such as the Islamic State. Read more
Numerous German churches are defending refugees. They are even housing rejected asylum seekers in churches so German police cannot deport them, while submitting legal appeals for their cases. Read more
A priest called the guardian angel of refugees is under investigation for people trafficking. Mussie Zerai was nominated for a Nobel prize in 2015 for his compassion to refugees. For tens of thousands of desperate migrants, his cellphone number has meant the difference between life and death as their boats founder. He has been the Read more
Rome authorities are looking into whether refugees, migrants and other homeless people can be accommodated in houses confiscated from the mafia. City officials are mapping the confiscated real estate to see if any of it is suitable for temporary housing. The first census of 200,000 potentially available apartments is due by the end of October, Read more
Pope Francis is challenging countries to open borders to refugees and put asylum seekers’ safety over national security concerns. His challenge to politicians, made in a detailed position paper on migrants and refugees, is at odds with the policies various governments have introduced to deal with growing anti-immigrant sentiment. Francis isn’t just tackling the movement Read more
World Refugee Day, June 20, came and went with hardly a notice. I almost missed it. Sadly, little mention was given in the secular and even religious world to the unprecedented refugee crisis endured by countless fellow human beings who have fled their homes with little more than the shirt on their back. According to Read more