We are called to welcome the stranger.
Columban missionaries serve migrants and refugees in a dozen countries throughout Asia Pacific and the Americas, as well as on the U.S. – Mexico border. Keeping in mind the Gospel mandate and our Catholic Social Teaching, we strive to “welcome the stranger” and to protect and promote the rights of migrants and refugees everywhere.
As Columbans, we believe we are called to both serve the needs of migrants and to address the root causes of migration.
We advocate for action on root causes of migration.
In 2015, the number of migrants internationally reached 244 million, including 20 million refugees (UN Migration). These include economic migrants compelled to move to feed their families, refugees and internally displaced persons fleeing persecution and environmental crises, and victims of human trafficking.
We recognize the right to migrate in order to seek both safety and a higher quality of life, but often global economic policies, environmental crises, and conflicts result in grave inequalities and unstable conditions forcing people to move. As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has recognized, “all peoples have the right to conditions worthy of human life and, if these conditions are not present, the right to migrate.”
We advocate for compassionate immigration reform.
Columbans respond to the harsh realities that migrants face, including separation from their families and imprisonment in detention centers and jails. Compassionate immigration reform is necessary to ensure family unity, protect the rights and dignity of migrants, and heal our communities.
On the U.S. – Mexico Border, countless migrants have risked death and deportation to cross into the U.S. in order to flee the violence and instability in their home countries. In the midst of a destructive militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border, Columbans call for a more compassionate border policy that affirms the dignity of migrants and celebrates the vibrancy and importance of border communities which continue to welcome our migrant brothers and sisters.
We advocate for reforms to stop human trafficking.
Migrants and refugees are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. Victims of human trafficking often leave their home countries to seek better economic conditions to support their families. This too can lead to exploitation of migrants, putting them in danger of death or serious injury, sexual abuse, and low wages. As God calls us to respect the dignity of every human life, we must continue to support policies that represent the interests of migrant workers and refugees.
Migration Resources:
"I left El Paso greatly altered by my brief time there. ... I urge you to invest in an experience like this or sponsor someone you think could be transformed by the experience. This will open you in ways unimagined."
Migrants crossing the border between Mexico and Guatemala (Voz de América, 29 October 2018)
The Biden administration had reached agreements with the governments of Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala to secure their borders. This signals a dangerous reversal of the administration’s promise to pursue a more just and compassionate response to migrants and refugees.
President Biden hasn’t been in office for 100 days and already the evolving situation at the US/MX border is at the top of his agenda. In this article, we want to give you an update on what’s happening at the US/MX border right now.
Today more than ever we are called to promote a deep care for creation, just social and economic structures, active non-violence in the face of oppression, and a Gospel commitment to peace that fosters a sense of inter-connectedness and solidarity with all living beings and all of creation.
Making active nonviolence our way of life in the Church and the world.
Copyright © 2021 Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach, Washington, D.C.