Calls for International Solidarity as migration grows
December 01, 2012: The 72 million forcibly displaced people, refugees, IDPs, stateless
persons, victims of violent conflicts, other persons uprooted by natural disasters
and development projects, are all witnesses of today’s crises that the political will
of the international community either has failed or been unable to prevent. The situation
calls for a humanitarian response that is coordinated, generous and effective, said
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN in Geneva
on Friday. He was speaking at the 101st Session of the Council of the International
Organization for Migration (IOM). Archbishop Tomasi further said that ‘these crises
are precipitated by non-state actors, by persecution and by state repression, generalized
violence and conflicts that are particularly destructive in urban areas. The difficult
challenge is providing a humanitarian response that is determined by the degree of
vulnerability and need rather than legal categories.’
The theme of the 2012
International Dialogue on Migration selected by the IOM member states was dedicated
to migration crises and how international actors manage them. A human rights approach
seems helpful in developing an adequate response. Further reflection on the forcible
displacement of people by increasingly unpredictable disasters and explosions of violence
can be another tangible contribution of the IOM, the Archbishop added. In these
circumstances, the expression of international solidarity becomes quite urgent and
necessary, but it remains critical to look at forcibly displaced people as protagonists
themselves, within the limits of their situation, in finding appropriate solutions
to their plight and to their need of protection. As migrations grow in number and
complexity, and with the persistence of displacement producing crises, leadership
in developing a comprehensive framework to guide international actors in responding
to crises appears as another timely undertaking. Likewise, the establishment of the
Migration Emergency Funding Mechanism represents a substantial step towards ensuring
a more effective response to migrants stranded in crisis situations. The Delegation
of the Holy See would like to recall that beyond being considered an additional strain
to host communities, migrants are a resource for our societies. Besides the new and
rich values and perspectives they are contributing, migrants sustain the economy through
their work. In the planning by the international community migrations need to find
their place, not only as functional to development and demography, but as a major
human rights commitment and comprehensive humanitarian responsibility.