A son of Italian immigrants, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17 December, 1936, it was only natural for Pope Francis to focus a lot on the plight of migrants, refugees and all uprooted people in his vision of a Church of mercy.
His pontifical concern in this direction was evident from the very first weeks of his twelve years at the helm of the Catholic Church in the world. Indeed, as early as 24th May, 2013, just a few weeks after his 13th March 2013 election, Pope Francis said loud and clearly: "The Church is mother, and her motherly attention is expressed with special tenderness and closeness to those who are obliged to flee their country and exist between rootlessness and integration."
Francis asked leaders, legislators and the entire international community to confront the reality of those who have been displaced by force, with effective projects and new approaches in order to protect their dignity, to improve the quality of their life, and to face the challenges that are emerging from modern forms of persecution, oppression, and slavery. He stressed that they are human people who are appealing for solidarity and assistance, who need urgent action but, also and above all, understanding and kindness.
Throughout the first years of is pontificate, Francis continued to repeatedly express his particular concern for what he considered as "the lamentable situation of many migrants and refugees fleeing from war, persecution, natural disasters and poverty."
He saw this reality as "undoubtedly" a sign of the times, which he tried to interpret ever since his headline hitting visit to Lampedusa on 8th July, 2013.
Additionally, when in 2016 he instituted the new Holy See Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, he made sure to incorporate in it a particular section - in the beginning under his personal direction - to express the Church's concern for migrants, displaced people, refugees and victims of human trafficking.
A response inspired by four verbs
Step by step, Pope Francis' defence of uprooted people established its basic guideline on the pillars of four fundamental verbs: welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating migrants and refugees.
In 2018, he took the opportunity of his annual message for the World Day of Migrants and refugees to elaborate on what he dearly wanted to see happening through promoting a response articulated by these four verbs.
He said the welcoming means, above all, offering broader options for migrants and refugees to enter destination countries safely and legally.
"This calls for a concrete commitment to increase and simplify the process for granting humanitarian visas and for reunifying families," said the Holy Father.
The Pope expressed his hope that a greater number of countries will adopt private and community sponsorship programmes, and open humanitarian corridors for particularly vulnerable refugees. "Furthermore, special temporary visas should be granted to people fleeing conflicts in neighbouring countries. Collective and arbitrary expulsions of migrants and refugees are not suitable solutions, particularly where people are returned to countries which cannot guarantee respect for human dignity and fundamental rights.
While emphasising the importance of offering migrants and refugees adequate and dignified initial accommodation, he acknowledged that certain more widespread programmes of welcome that had already been initiated in different places, "seem to favour a personal encounter and allow for greater quality of service and i
Francis said that the principle of the centrality of the human person "obliges us" to always prioritise personal safety over national security. "It is necessary, therefore, to ensure that agents in charge of border control are properly trained. The situation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees requires that they be guaranteed personal safety and access to basic services. For the sake of the fundamental dignity of every human person, we must strive to find alternative solutions to detention for those who enter
Rights and dignity
Regarding the second verb - protecting - Francis augured that this may be understood as a series of steps intended to defend the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees, independent of their legal status. He said that such protection begins in the country of origin, and consists in offering reliable and verified information before departure, and in providing safety from illegal recruitment practices.
"This must be ongoing, as far as possible, in the country of migration, guaranteeing them adequate consular assistance, the right to personally retain their identity documents at all times, fair access to justice, the possibility of opening a personal bank account, and a minimum sufficient to live on. When duly recognised and valued, the potential and skills of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees are a true resource for the communities that welcome them. This is why I hope that, in countries of arrival, migrants may be offered freedom of movement, work opportunities, and access to means of communication, out of respect for their dignity."
Regarding those who decide to return to their homeland, the Pope emphasised the need to develop social and professional reintegration programmes.
Pointing out that the International Convention on the Rights of the Child provides a universal legal basis for the protection of underage migrants, Francis stated that children must be spared any form of detention related to migratory status, and must be guaranteed regular access to primary and secondary education. Equally, he added, when they come of age they must be guaranteed the right to remain and to enjoy the possibility of continuing their studies.
"Temporary custody or foster programmes should be provided for unaccompanied minors and minor The universal right to a nationality should be recognised and duly certified for all children at birth. The statelessness which migrants and refugees sometimes fall into can easily be avoided with the adoption of 'nationality legislation that is in conformity with the fundamental principles of international law'. Migratory status should not limit access to national healthcare and pension plans, nor affect the transfer of their contributions if repatriated."
Empowerment
Moving on to the verb promoting, Francis said this essentially means a determined effort to ensure that all migrants and refugees - as well as the communities which welcome them - are empowered to achieve their potential as human beings, in all the dimensions which constitute the hAmong these, he said, one must recognise the true value of the religious dimension, ensuring to all foreigners in any country the freedom of religious belief and practice.
On the fact that many migrants and refugees have abilities which must be appropriately recognised and valued, Francis said: "Since work, by its nature, is meant t I encourage a determined effort to promote the social and professional inclusion of migrants and refugees, guaranteeing for all - including those seeking asylum - the possibility of employment, language instruction and active citizenship, together with sufficient information provided in their mother tongue." Additionally, in the case of underage migrants, "their involvement in labour must be regulated to prevent exploitation and risks to their normal growth and development."
The Pope further maintained that the family's integrity must always be promoted, supporting family reunifications - including grandparents, grandchildren and siblings - independent of financial requirements.
"Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees with disabilities must be granted greater assistance and support. While I recognise the praiseworthy efforts, thus far, of many countries, in terms of international cooperation and humanitarian aid, I hope that the offering of this assistance will take into account the needs (such as medical and social assistance, as well as education) of developing countries which receive a significant influx of migrants and refugees. I also hope that local communities which are vulnerable and facing material hardship, will be i
Integration
The fourth and final verb of Pope Francis - integrating - concerns the opportunities for intercultural enrichment brought about by the presence of migrants and refugees.
Integration, he said is not an assimilation that leads migrants to suppress or to forget their own cultural identity. Rather, contact with others leads to discovering their 'secret', to being open to them in order to welcome their valid aspects and thus contribute to knowing each one better.
"This is a lengthy process that aims to shape societies and cultures, making them more and more a reflection of the multi-faceted gifts of God to human beings. This process can be accelerated by granting citizenship free of financial or linguistic requirements, and by offering the possibility of special legalisation to migrants who can claim a long period of residence in the country of arrival."
Francis reiterated the need to foster a culture of encounter in every way possible - by increasing opportunities for intercultural exchange, documenting and disseminating best practices of integration, and developing programmes to prepare local communities for integration processes.
He stressed what he defined as the special case of people forced to abandon their country of arrival due to a humanitarian crisis. These people, he added, must be ensured adequate assistance for repatriation and effective reintegration programmes in their home countries.
The Pope concluded that in line with her pastoral tradition, the Church is ready to commit herself to realising all the initiatives he was proposing. "Yet, in order to achieve the desired outcome, the contribution of political communities and civil societies is indispensable, each according to their own responsibilities."