World Refugee Day
(June 18.06.2011) Archbishop Antonio Maria Vegliò, President of the Vatican Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, at an interview Friday to Vatican Radio, highlighted the World Refugee Day to be celebrated on Monday June 20th. World Refugee Day this year coincides with the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations High Commission for Refugee- U.N.H.C.R, and the adoption of the 1951 Geneva Convention on Refugees. UNHCR has been assisting millions of refugees over the last sixty years, and has become a permanent organisation. It has became responsible for refugees worldwide. The Church , the Archbishop assured, is present with refugees and the internally displaced in many different ways. Many religious congregations got individual members involved, while others joined the Jesuit Refugee Service founded in 1980 by Father Arrupe, Superior General of the Jesuits to respond to the needs of the Vietnamese boat people, refugees fleeing from Vietnam. A special role is played by the International Catholic Migration Commission. More than one million people have been resettled. In addition, Caritas, both at diocesan level or national level, is assisting in many different ways, from emergency aid to direct involvement in managing refugee camps. The ongoing conflict in Abjei, and the situation in Darfur are major concerns. The real challenge however is in northern Africa, especially in Tunisia and Egypt. More than one million left Libya, of which 15,000 arrived in Italy. One has to see the problem in proportion. Tunisia, welcomed half a million persons of which 290,000 are Libyans. Egypt faced the arrival of 340,000 persons of which 161,000 are Libyans.
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