[15 January 2017]
“Child Migrants, the Vulnerable and the Voiceless”
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
“Whoever receives one such child in my name
receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me” (Mk
9:37; cf. Mt 18:5; Lk 9:48; Jn 13:20). With these words, the Evangelists remind
the Christian community of Jesus’ teaching, which both inspires and challenges.
This phrase traces the sure path which leads to God; it begins with the
smallest and, through the grace of our Savior, it grows into the practice of
welcoming others. To be welcoming is a necessary condition for making this
journey a concrete reality: God made himself one of us. In Jesus God became a
child, and the openness of faith to God, which nourishes hope, is expressed in
loving proximity to the smallest and the weakest. Charity, faith and hope are
all actively present in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, as we have
rediscovered during the recent Extraordinary Jubilee.
But the Evangelists reflect also on the
responsibility of the one who works against mercy: “Whoever causes one of these
little ones who believe in me to sin: it is better for him to have a great
millstone fastened round his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Mt
18:6; cf. Mk 9:42; Lk 17:2). How can we ignore this severe warning when we see
the exploitation carried out by unscrupulous people? Such exploitation harms
young girls and boys who are led into prostitution or into the mire of
pornography; who are enslaved as child laborers or soldiers; who are caught up
in drug trafficking and other forms of criminality; who are forced to flee from
conflict and persecution, risking isolation and abandonment.
For this reason, on the occasion of the annual
World Day of Migrants and Refugees, I feel compelled to draw attention to the
reality of child migrants, especially the ones who are alone. In doing so I ask
everyone to take care of the young, who in a threefold way are defenseless:
they are children, they are foreigners, and they have no means to protect
themselves. I ask everyone to help those who, for various reasons, are forced
to live far from their homeland and are separated from their families.
Migration today is not a phenomenon limited to
some areas of the planet. It affects all continents and is growing into a
tragic situation of global proportions. Not only does this concern those
looking for dignified work or better living conditions, but also men and women,
the elderly and children, who are forced to leave their homes in the hope of
finding safety, peace and security. Children are the first among those to pay
the heavy toll of emigration, almost always caused by violence, poverty,
environmental conditions, as well as the negative aspects of globalization. The
unrestrained competition for quick and easy profit brings with it the
cultivation of perverse scourges such as child trafficking, the exploitation
and abuse of minors and, generally, the depriving of rights intrinsic to
childhood as sanctioned by the International Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
Childhood, given its fragile nature, has unique
and inalienable needs. Above all else, there is the right to a healthy and
secure family environment, where a child can grow under the guidance and
example of a father and a mother; then there is the right and duty to receive
adequate education, primarily in the family and also in the school, where
children can grow as persons and agents of their own future and the future of
their respective countries. Indeed, in many areas of the world, reading,
writing and the most basic arithmetic is still the privilege of only a few. All
children, furthermore, have the right to recreation; in a word, they have the
right to be children.
And yet among migrants, children constitute the
most vulnerable group, because as they face the life ahead of them, they are
invisible and voiceless: their precarious situation deprives them of
documentation, hiding them from the world’s eyes; the absence of adults to
accompany them prevents their voices from being raised and heard. In this way,
migrant children easily end up at the lowest levels of human degradation, where
illegality and violence destroy the future of too many innocents, while the network
of child abuse is difficult to break up.
How should we respond to this reality?
Firstly, we need to become aware that the
phenomenon of migration is not unrelated to salvation history, but rather a
part of that history. One of God’s commandments is connected to it: “You shall
not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of
Egypt” (Ex 22:21); “Love the sojourner therefore; for you were sojourners in
the land of Egypt” (Deut 10:19). This phenomenon constitutes a sign of the times,
a sign which speaks of the providential work of God in history and in the human
community, with a view to universal communion. While appreciating the issues,
and often the suffering and tragedy of migration, as too the difficulties
connected with the demands of offering a dignified welcome to these persons,
the Church nevertheless encourages us to recognize God’s plan. She invites us
to do this precisely amidst this phenomenon, with the certainty that no one is
a stranger in the Christian community, which embraces “every nation, tribe,
people and tongue” (Rev 7:9). Each person is precious; persons are more
important than things, and the worth of an institution is measured by the way
it treats the life and dignity of human beings, particularly when they are
vulnerable, as in the case of child migrants.
Furthermore, we need to work towards protection,
integration and long-term solutions.
We are primarily concerned with adopting every
possible measure to guarantee the protection and safety of child migrants,
because “these boys and girls often end up on the street abandoned to
themselves and prey to unscrupulous exploiters who often transform them into
the object of physical, moral and sexual violence” (Benedict XVI, Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 2008).
Moreover, the dividing line between migration and
trafficking can at times be very subtle. There are many factors which
contribute to making migrants vulnerable, especially if they are children:
poverty and the lack of means to survive – to which are added unrealistic
expectations generated by the media; the low level of literacy; ignorance of
the law, of the culture and frequently of the language of host countries. All
of this renders children physically and psychologically dependent. But the most
powerful force driving the exploitation and abuse of children is demand. If
more rigorous and effective action is not taken against those who profit from
such abuse, we will not be able to stop the multiple forms of slavery where
children are the victims.
It is necessary, therefore, for immigrants to
cooperate ever more closely with the communities that welcome them, for the
good of their own children. We are deeply grateful to organizations and
institutions, both ecclesial and civil that commit time and resources to
protect minors from various forms of abuse. It is important that evermore
effective and incisive cooperation be implemented, based not only on the
exchange of information, but also on the reinforcement of networks capable of
assuring timely and specific intervention; and this, without underestimating
the strength that ecclesial communities reveal especially when they are united
in prayer and fraternal communion.
Secondly, we need to work for the integration of
children and youngsters who are migrants. They depend totally on the adult
community. Very often the scarcity of financial resources prevents the adoption
of adequate policies aimed at assistance and inclusion. As a result, instead of
favoring the social integration of child migrants, or programmes for safe and
assisted repatriation, there is simply an attempt to curb the entrance of
migrants, which in turn fosters illegal networks; or else immigrants are
repatriated to their country of origin without any concern for their “best
interests”.
The condition of child migrants is worsened when
their status is not regularized or when they are recruited by criminal
organizations. In such cases they are usually sent to detention centers. It is
not unusual for them to be arrested, and because they have no money to pay the
fine or for the return journey, they can be incarcerated for long periods,
exposed to various kinds of abuse and violence. In these instances, the right of
states to control migratory movement and to protect the common good of the
nation must be seen in conjunction with the duty to resolve and regularize the
situation of child migrants, fully respecting their dignity and seeking to meet
their needs when they are alone, but also the needs of their parents, for the
good of the entire family.
Of fundamental importance is the adoption of
adequate national procedures and mutually agreed plans of cooperation between
countries of origin and of destination, with the intention of eliminating the
causes of the forced emigration of minors.
Thirdly, to all I address a heartfelt appeal that
long-term solutions be sought and adopted. Since this is a complex phenomenon,
the question of child migrants must be tackled at its source. Wars, human
rights violations, corruption, poverty, environmental imbalance and disasters,
are all causes of this problem. Children are the first to suffer, at times
suffering torture and other physical violence, in addition to moral and
psychological aggression, which almost always leave indelible scars.
It is absolutely necessary, therefore, to deal
with the causes which trigger migrations in the countries of origin. This
requires, as a first step, the commitment of the whole international community
to eliminate the conflicts and violence that force people to flee. Furthermore,
far- sighted perspectives are called for, capable of offering adequate
programmes for areas struck by the worst injustice and instability, in order
that access to authentic development can be guaranteed for all. This
development should promote the good of boys and girls, who are humanity’s hope.
Lastly, I wish to address a word to you, who walk
alongside migrant children and young people: they need your precious help. The
Church too needs you and supports you in the generous service you offer. Do not
tire of courageously living the Gospel, which calls you to recognize and
welcome the Lord Jesus among the smallest and most vulnerable.
I entrust all child migrants, their families,
their communities, and you who are close to them, to the protection of the Holy
Family of Nazareth; may they watch over and accompany each one on their
journey. With my prayers, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican, 8 September 2016
FRANCIS
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