Pope addresses Pontifical Council for Migrants

(May 28, 2010) According to Pope Benedict, the acquiring of rights by immigrants goes hand in hand with assuming their duties. He made the remark on Friday when addressing participants in the plenary assembly of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council of the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. The theme of the three-day plenary assembly that ended on Friday was, “The pastoral care of human mobility today, in the context of shared responsibility by states and international organizations.” The Pope observed that the movement of people has long been the subject of international conventions to ensure the protection of fundamental human rights and combat discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance. The Pope is in favour of an effort to build a shared system of rules covering the rights and duties of both immigrants as well the host community, based first and foremost on the dignity of the every human person, created in the image and likeness of God. The Holy Father regretted that there still exist divisive walls in many parts of the world that prevent legislative and administrative mechanisms to help integration, mutual exchange and reciprocal enrichment. According Pope Benedict, coexistence among people requires a careful and agreed stand on allowing in immigrants and their integration, by providing them opportunities to legalize themselves and by offering them the right to family reunion, the school and asylum which help fight the despicable practice of trafficking in persons.