GLOBAL MIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION: Why the Church Needs to Be an Advocate for the Migrant

Global Migration and Immigration

Verbum SVD 55:4 (2014)

339

Aileen Reynolds / Zelia Cordeiro SSpS / Felix Jones SVD*

GLOBAL MIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION: Why the Church Needs to Be an Advocate for the Migrant

This article reviews briefly the situation of migrants, particular-

ly in the USA, since many migrants are attracted to this country.

The authors explain some aspects of human rights and internation-

al law regarding migration and the relevant perspectives of Catho-

lic Social Teaching. There are many initiatives by the Church to

support migrants in their situation. Many of them address also the

political and legal frameworks of the powerful nations. Migration is

not in the first place an economic problem but it shows a humani-

tarian crisis which requires the UN to include the topic in its post-

2015 agenda.

The international migration of people between countries has been

a constant global phenomenon in recent centuries. However, the rea-

sons for migration, the origins and destinations of the migrants and

the difficulties and obstacles that they face are in flux. It is important

to have a fact-based social and economic perspective on the reality

and magnitude of migration today in order to act in appropriately

constructive ways in the face of a growing global crisis.

At the global level, the total number of international migrants was

232 million in 2013.1 The United States has seen an increase in im-

migrants since the 1940s, with over one million new, legal perma-nent residents calculated in 2012 alone.2 It is estimated over 68,000

unaccompanied children have entered into the United States in

2014.3 In addition, the number of undocumented immigrants living in

* Aileen Reynolds is a graduate from Fordham University and an intern with VIVAT International. Zelia Cordeiro is a Servant of the Holy Spirit Sister from Brazil. Since February 2008 a member of the Executive team of VIVAT International in New York, an NGO accredited to the United Nations. Felix Jones is a Divine Word Missionary from India. He is also a member of the Executive Team of VIVAT International since February 2008. 1 http://esa.un.org/unmigration/documents/The_number_of_international_

migrants.pdf 2 Migration Policy Institute tabulations of U.S. Department of Homeland

Security, Office of Immigration Statistics, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics (various years). Available at http://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/publications/ yearbook.shtm. 3 www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-border-unaccompanied-children

Aileen Reynolds / Zelia Cordeiro SSpS / Felix Jones SVD


340

the United States has been estimated to be between 11 and 12 mil-

lion.4 Overwhelming figures such as these emphasize the migrant as

a vital member of our global community who deserves personalized

attention. The United Nations has highlighted population dynamics

as a potential item on its post-2015 agenda; immigration reform con-

tinues to be a hot-button topic in the United States and abroad; thou-

sands of non-profit and non-governmental organizations have dedi-

cated their mission towards improving the plight of the migrant. The

Catholic Church, and its members, have the capacity and the voca-

tion to serve the migrant and defend human rights in an impactful

way. As said in the Catechism, the Churchs social teaching proposes principles for reflection; it provides criteria for judgment; it gives

guidelines for action.5

The Demand to Migrate

Although 630 million of the worlds adults desire to move to an-other country, about 19 million of them are actively making prepara-

tions to do so.6 Despite popular assumption, not every migrant is

moving South to Northmeaning from a developing nation to a developed one. In reality, only forty percent of migrants move in that

pattern. Of the remainder, a third of migrants move from South to South and a fifth of migrants move North to North.7 The United States is the most desired destination for migrants; 145 million peo-

ple name the United States as their ideal future residence.8 The De-

partment of Homeland Security in the United States indicates that

family-sponsored migrants constitute the largest percentage of those

who become legal permanent residents, with workers following as the

second largest percentage.9 There are reasons for these trendsthe presence of a social network within a nation has a significant, posi-

tive relationship on the desire and likelihood of migration to said

4 http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/illegal-immigrants-more-likely-to-

have-lived-in-the-us-for-over-a-decade/2014/09/03/50f70120-3382-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html and http://cis.org/us_visas_still_easy_to_get.html 5 Catechism of the Catholic Church 2423.

6 Neli Esipova / Julie Ray / Anita Pugliese, Gallup World Poll: The Many Faces of Global Migration: Based on Research in More than 150 Countries, Geneva: International Organization for Migration 2011. 7 World Migration Report 2013: Migrant Well-being and Development, Inter-

national Organization for Migration 2013. 8 Esipova / Ray / Pugliese, Gallup World Poll.

9 R. Monger, Annual Flow Report, April 2010, Department of Homeland

Security, Office of Immigration Statistics 2010.



341

country. Likewise, employment status influences a natives desire to migrate; in the Middle East and North Africa, underemployed adults

are three times more likely to plan to migrate than those who are

fully employed.10

According to Gallups Net Migration Index, if everyone who want-ed to migrate did so, developed nations would be overwhelmed and

developing nations would lose valuable human capital, especially the

brain drain of professionally qualified people. However, it is im-portant to consider that almost all data and statistics about migrants

only account for those who have obtained legal residence in the coun-

try of destination; undocumented migrants are rarely represented in

data collections due to fear of being prosecuted, deported, or worse.

Therefore, the figures about migrants today serve as a minimum rep-

resentation of the number of migrants who are currently living in

new countries worldwide.

Beyond those who want to migrate, there are people and peoples

who need to migrate for their safety (i.e., to become refugees or asy-

lum seekers). Global migration evolves into a humanitarian crisis

when people must flee wars, civil wars, criminal and other violence,

and ecological devastation. Since 2011, the United States has seen a

dramatic increase in unaccompanied minors migrating to the United

States, particularly across the United States/Mexico border. An

overwhelming majority of these children are migrating due to the

increase of violence and gang activities in their home countries,

namely in Central America.11 Countries that experience internal con-

flict produce the largest number of refugees, with Afghanistan being

the leading country of origin and various sovereign nations leading as

destination countries.12 On a different but equally important note,

12% of adults think they will need to migrate because of severe envi-

ronmental problems in their country of origin; global climate change

is expected to increase this number.13 Leaving their current situation

becomes the priority of refugees, asylum-seekers, and potential mi-

grants who are fleeing from their native land. Unfortunately, this can

cause people to go to drastic measures and face great challenges in

order to leave their country and enter another one, including risking

their lives. In the Mediterranean, 21,344 people have died attempting

10

Esipova / Ray / Pugliese, Gallup World Poll. 11

http://www.usccb.org/about/migration-policy/fact-finding-mission-reports/ upload/Mission-To-Central-America-FINAL-2.pdf 12

http://hms.salvos.org.au/refugees-asylum-seekers-factsheet/ 13

Esipova / Ray / Pugliese, Gallup World Poll.



342

to migrate into Europe over the past 25 years, with over 3,000 of

those deaths occurring in 2014 alone.14

A Catholic Perspective

Catholic Social Teaching provides an important perspective for

understanding global migration; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you wel-

comed me (Mt 25:35). Five principles of social justice have been highlighted as guiding the Churchs view on migration. Firstly, per-sons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland.15 All people and peoples deserve to live in dignity and achieve full life, and

therefore have the right to find economic, political, and social oppor-

tunities in their homeland. Nonetheless, the second principle states,

persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.16 The earth belongs to all people and, thus, people have the right to migrate if they cannot support themselves and their families

in their country of origin. It should be noted, however, that ultimately

the first principle should be pursued by those with resources to do so,

since a nation that is denying its people opportunities for survival is

unjust. The third principle states, sovereign nations have the right to control their borders.17 Although this right is recognized, the Church emphasizes that developed nations, proven to be the most

desired destinations for migrants, have a stronger obligation to ac-

commodate migration flows. Fourth: refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.18 The global community has a respon-sibility to protect those fleeing unsafe living conditions. Temporary

residency, such as refugee status, must be granted without any nega-

tive interactions to all those in such situations. Lastly, the human dignity and human rights of undocumented migrants should be re-

spected.19 Whatever the legal status of a migrant, all human beings have a basic set of human rights that must be respected by all, from

neighbors to employers to enforcement officers. These five principles

14

Sabir Festival, Migrate to survive, stop the massacre! Lampedusa, Italy, 1-5 October 2014. 15

Strangers No Longer. Together on the Journey of Hope, 23 Jan. 2003, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Conferencia Del Episco-pado Mexicano 2003. 16

Ibid. 17

Ibid. 18

Ibid. 19

Ibid.



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summarize the reasoning for the Catholic Church to support the mi-

grant.

These five principles in defense of the human rights of the migrant

are not being met around the world today. Families are being sepa-

rated at the border and the members treated as separate entities: the adult and the child; undocumented migrants are publicly con-

demned yet their labor is exploited; xenophobic social structures in-

hibit the migrant from integrating into a new culture, finding work

and housing, obtaining education, etc.

This is where policymakers, advocates, organizers, and institu-

tions come in to be proponents of migration and migrant rights. With

the strong foundation of Catholic Social Teaching, the Church can be

a leading advocate for the migrant beyond providing spiritual support

and pastoral guidance.

Ongoing Activism

Faith-based organizations and Churches have the opportunity to

provide migrants with the necessary services they need once they

have arrived in a new country. For example, Catholic Migrant Ser-

vices is an organization dedicated to welcoming the stranger by empower[ing] underserved immigrant communities.20 Catholic Mi-gration Services provides legal advice, opportunities for education

opportunities, and pastoral services to migrants who enter their offic-

es regardless of religion or ethnicity. This organizations proactive dedication to assisting the migrant in his/her/their transition into a

new country is rooted in the Gospel and is a vital component of thou-

sands of immigrants potential success. All Churches, faith-based organizations, and Christians as individuals should be equipped to

assist the migrant, whether that be as the provider of requested ser-

vices or as a sponsor to refer him/her/them to agencies that can assist

them to obtain what they need.

Several Catholic and evangelical leaders recently came together to

draft a letter to Congress on the issue of immigration reform. Bishop

Nicholas DiMarzio, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn

and co-author of the letter, spoke at a press conference proclaiming,

This issue of immigration is a moral issue. [] We need to look at [humanitarian consequences] because its not just an issue of legality and illegality. Its very clear why these people are here. They come because theres a de-

20

http://catholicmigration.org/



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mand for work. The law of supply and demand is at work

here. People come because there are employment oppor-

tunities. They are not coming here to camp in our parks.

They all have homes, rented or bought. There is a moral

content; and its a family issue and a moral issue. We re-ally want to stress: together we stand shoulder-to-shoulder in this really civil rights issue in many ways al-

so. Its a workers rights problem that we are addressing. We really stand together and believe the same things.21

Leaders in the Church such as Bishop DiMarzio have the unique

opportunity to utilize their large network to expose the truth about

what is taking place in the life of the migrant and the root causes. It

is important that more leaders in the Church attend functions advo-

cating for the migrant, to demonstrate the solidarity the Church

holds with the migrant. Preaching as one, unified voice not only reso-

nates with those we are addressingusually policymakers and politi-ciansbut also assures the migrant that we support him/her/them.

Faith-based organizations have come together to present a unified

front in immigration reform. This is particularly impactful when ad-

dressing key politicians on specific issues. Several United States-

based organizations wrote a letter to President Obama highlighting

reforms that need to be made for the sake of guaranteeing the mi-

grants human rights. These included ending dangerous deportation practices; regulating conditions at Customs and Border Protection

detention facilities, which currently fail to meet basic health and

sanitation standards; and ending family detention, to name a few.22

Focused demands such as these make it clear to those being ad-

dressed what are the priority rights and needs of the migrant com-

munity, communicated through faith-based organizations.

Larger organized efforts on specific issues also exist, such as the

Ignatian Solidarity Networks dedication to addressing the Humani-tarian Crisis of Unaccompanied Children. The Ignatian Solidarity

networks website provides resources for education on the issue, first-hand accounts from unaccompanied children themselves, and oppor-

tunities for letter-writing to policy officials, and organized events for

collaboration on the issue.23 Bishop Eusebio Elizondo of Seattle urged

the Obama administration to acknowledge the importance of this

issue, emphasizing unaccompanied childrens vulnerability to human

21

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2014/3/5/faith-brooklyn-march-5 22

http://ignatiansolidarity.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Administrative-Action-follow-up-letter-9.30.pdf 23

http://ignatiansolidarity.net/humanitarian-crisis-unaccompanied-children/



345

traffickers and smugglers during migration, as well as the dangers

they may face if they are forcibly returned to their home countries.24

It is necessary that the Church, its leaders, and its members remain

involved in proactive efforts such as these to maintain visibility on

this issue and others surrounding global migration to keep the topic

visible until all needs are met.

Immigration Reform

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published

several documents outlining proposals and demands for immigration

reform, rooted in the Churchs teachings and the Gospel. A future worker program has been proposed as a way to increase the amount

of foreign-born workers entering the country legally for employment

purposes, as a way to reduce the overwhelming number of migrants

who face treacherous conditions traveling through the American de-

sert to enter the country illegally. The Future Worker Program would

not only assist in establishing legal residence, but also provide work-

place protections, living wages, and facilitate family unity.25 The

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops also urges a specific,

family-based immigration reform to be pursued by the governments

of the United States and Mexico to increase the number of family

visas available so families can reunify.26 The 1996 Illegal Immigra-

tion Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) took away

due process rights, for example, by instituting multi-year bars to

reentry for unsuccessful migrants. The United States Conference of

Catholic Bishops declares this Act unjust and calls for a restoration of

due process rights.27 In light of these reforms, it is important that all

branches of governmentin particular, Congressexamine the root causes of migration and propose long-term solutions to both improve

conditions in countries of origin and modify policies to accommodate

the increase in migrants entering the United States.28 Similarly, the

Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops recognizes the legiti-

mate function of the United States government in regulating its bor-

der, however they believe that increasing the means for migrants to

enter the United States lawfully would provide a long-term solution

24

http://www.usccb.org/news/2014/14-118.cfm 25

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/immigra-tion/churchteachingonimmigrationreform.cfm 26

Ibid. 27

Ibid. 28

Ibid.



346

to the epidemic of undocumented migrants as well as eliminate lethal

enforcement actions by Customs and Border Patrol agents.29 Immi-

gration reform must provide short-term and long-term solutions both

to address the immediate needs of current migrants and to increase

the destination countrys preparedness for influxes of migrants. De-veloped nations such as the United States, being economically pros-

perous and politically powerful, hold a heavier responsibility to ac-

commodate migrants, allowing them into their countries to benefit

from resources and opportunities that all humans deserve.

A Humanitarian Crisis

On a global level, the United Nations post-2015 agenda provides an opportunity for the world to put global migration and migrant-

related goals at the center of its agenda for years to come. As migra-

tion inherently involves multiple cultures, communities, peoples,

countries and nations, the post-2015 agenda has the ability to foster

enhanced cooperation on migration and population dynamics on all

levels.30 Franois Crpeau, special rapporteur on the human rights of

migrants, has criticized the millennium development goals as solely

serving economic growth rather than improving human rights. He

has urged the UN General Assembly to avoid tackling low-hanging fruit and rather focus on the truly important human rights issues in our world todayone of which being global migration.31

Global migration is a multifaceted issue that can be integrated in-

to every aspect of the sustainable development goals of the post-2015

agenda. At the same time, the post-2015 agenda to eliminate poverty,

create gender equality, eliminate violence, and protect the environ-

ment has the ability to reduce forced migration. Creating and pre-

serving decent opportunities for education and employment in coun-

tries of origin would also decrease the amount of people migrating out

of necessity because countries of origin would be more sustainable.32

In eradicating poverty, reducing the cost of labor migration and re-

ducing the cost of sending remittances helps both the migrant and

29

Ibid. 30

Matthew Stockton, Dhaka Declaration 12-13 March 2013. 31

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/oct/24/human-rights-migrants-new-development-agenda-un-special-rapporteur-francois-crepeau 32

Civil Society Stockholm Agenda on migrant and migrant-related goals and targets in post-2015 global and national agenda http://gfmdcivilsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Civil-Society-Migration-Stockholm-Agenda-June-2014. pdf



347

people living in poverty in their countries of origin.33 To empower

girls and women and achieve gender equality, women and girls need

to be legally and socially protected before, during and after migra-

tion.34 Migrants and their children deserve the same access to quality

education and healthcare as native-born persons, increasing a mi-

grant familys probability of having sustainable success in their new country.35 To ensure good governance and effective institutions, mi-

grants must have access to justice and due process.36 Migrants who

do not have to worry about being discriminated against solely be-

cause he/she/they are migrating have a better chance of attaining a

more peaceful and therefore productive life. To achieve this, public

awareness of the cultural, social, and economic contributions of mi-

grants must be increased to display the positive contribution of the

migrant.37 Lastly, the safety of the migrant must be protected. Inter-

national human trafficking and all other forms of violence against

migrants must be prevented and addressed, particularly through

systemic responses.38

The post-2015 agenda can address the migrant in every goal it

sets. These proposals are being presented by civil society, and need to

be continually proposed to ambassadors and other key members at

the United Nations until January 1, 2016 when the agenda will be

set. The Church, as a member of civil society, has the capacity to par-

ticipate in these discussions and pursue the needs of the migrant

internationally.

In Conclusion

As a longtime defender of Human Rights, the Church must stand

as an advocate for the migrant. In a recent homily at Lampedusa,

Pope Francis warned of the globalization of indifference; we must regain our sense of fraternal responsibility in regard to the plight of

the migrant.39 There are over one billion Catholics in the world to-

day,40 which means that there are one billion people who are poten- 33 Ibid. 34 Ibid. 35 Ibid.

36 Ibid. 37 Ibid. 38 Ibid.

39 http://en.radiovaticana.va/storico/2013/07/08/pope_on_lampedusa_%E2%80%9 Cthe_globalization_of_indifference%E2%80%9D/en1-708541 40

http://cara.georgetown.edu/caraservices/requestedchurchstats.html



348

tial advocates for the migrantmany are migrants or descendants of immigrants themselves. Whether it is national immigration reform in

developed countries, sustainable changes in living and working con-

ditions in countries of origin, or putting migrants and migration at

the forefront of the global agenda, the Church and its members need

to practice their faith by actively organizing and advocating for the

rights of the migrant. Many organizations are already doing so, but

until the needs of the migrant are entirely met, we cannot rest. The

migrant is a member of Gods family, and deserves to be treated as such.

ABSTRACTS

Dieser Beitrag beschreibt in Krze die Situation von Migranten, beson-ders in den USA, da dieses Land viele von ihnen anzieht. Die Autoren erkl-ren einige Menschen- und Vlkerrechtsaspekte im Zusammenhang mit Mig-ration und die entsprechenden Aussagen der Katholischen Soziallehre. Es gibt viele kirchliche Initiativen, mit denen die Migranten untersttzt wer-den. Viele davon beziehen sich auch auf politische und legale Rahmenbe-dingungen in den mchtigen Nationen. Migration ist nicht zuerst ein wirt-schaftliches Problem, sondern weist auf eine humanitre Krise hin, die die Vereinten Nationen dazu herausfordert, dieses Thema auf ihre Agenda fr die Zeit nach 2015 zu setzen.

Este artculo revisa brevemente la situacin de migrantes, particular-mente en los EE.UU, ya que este pas atrae ms migrantes que otros. Los au-tores explican algunos aspectos de derechos humanos y derecho internacional en referencia a la migracin as como las perspectivas relevantes de la doc-trina social catlica. Existen muchas iniciativas de la iglesia que apoyan a los migrantes en su situacin. Muchas se dirigen tambin a los marcos polticos y jurdicos en las naciones poderosas. Migracin no es en primer lugar un pro-blema econmico sino que, ms bien, pone en evidencia una crisis humanita-ria que demanda que las Naciones Unidas incluyen este tema en su agenda post 2015.

Cet article fait un bref tour dhorizon de la situation des migrants, par-ticulirement aux tats-Unis puisque de nombreux migrants sont attirs par ce pays. Les auteurs expliquent certains points des droits humains et de la loi internationale en ce qui concerne la migration et les lments correspon-dants de lenseignement social de lglise. Il existe de nombreuses initiatives de lglise pour soutenir les migrants dans leur situation. Un grand nombre dentre elles interpellent galement larsenal politique et lgal des grandes nations. La migration nest pas dabord un problme conomique, mais elle rvle une crise humanitaire qui exige que les Nations Unies reprennent le sujet dans leur programme au-del de 2015.

GLOBAL MIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION: Why the Church Needs to Be an Advocate for the Migrant

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