Photo by Jesuit Migration Network
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matthew: 25:35-36)
On World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) reaffirms its commitment to walk in solidarity with people who have been forcibly displaced from their homes and are fleeing wars, conflicts, persecution, economic and political crises, and the impacts of climate change.
The migrant is “not simply a brother or sister in difficulty, but Christ himself, who knocks at our door,” Pope Francis reminds us in a message commemorating the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees this Sunday, September 24. He urges us to “show maximum respect for the dignity of each migrant,” and to construct bridges, not walls, and expand “channels for a safe and regular migration.”
The Jesuit Migration Network (RJM-CANA), a CJI partner, responds to this call by providing humanitarian relief and accompaniment to migrants from Central America, and most recently, from South America and other parts of the world. They offer them food, medication, shelter, psychological and spiritual support, and legal advice.
For this year’s commemoration, the Pope has chosen the theme “Free to choose whether to migrate or stay.” He underscores that “the decision to migrate should always be free, yet in many cases, even in our day, it is not. Conflicts, natural disasters, or more simply the impossibility of living a dignified and prosperous life in one’s native land is forcing millions of persons to leave.”
The UNHCR estimates that the number of forcibly displaced or stateless people will increase from 108 million in 2022 to 117 million in 2023.
“In whatever place we decide to build our future, in the country of our birth or elsewhere, the important thing is that there always be a community ready to welcome, protect, promote and integrate everyone, without distinctions and without excluding anyone,” says the Pope.
