From humanitarian corridors to the law on citizenship compliant to the Jus soli criteria, to job sponsorship. 16 concrete actions in the area of reception, protection and promotion of economic migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees, as well as of the victims of human trafficking, constitute the backbone of the Holy See’s proposals to world governments to ensure the respect of the rights and dignity of migrant people. The occasion will be the “Global compact for refugees” (#UN4RefugeesMigrants), a UN inter-governmental conference scheduled to take place in the second half of 2018. The issue was addressed during the seminar “Global compacts 2018” organized by the office for Migrants and Refugees of the new Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, at the San Callixtus Palace in the Vatican. The draft document enshrining 16 proposals will soon be released in its definitive version, approved by the Pope. It will be integrated with the indications of the bishops and of representatives of Bishops’ Conferences worldwide, currently attending the meeting, including the regional Conferences representing world continents (SECAM, COMECE, CELAM, CCEE) along with those of Countries marked by specific commitments in the area of migration such as the US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Tunisia… The document will enshrine the position of the Holy See at the Global Compact on Refugees, which governments are already working on. We broached the issue with Fr Fabio Baggio, Undersecretary of the office for Migrants and Refugees.
What is the reason for this meeting?
The Pope has asked us to identify initiatives that can step up the reception, protection, furtherance and integration of migrants. One of these initiatives is the intergovernmental conference that will take place in the second semester of 2018 promoted by the UN. Government leaders will convene to decide the lines of action that may serve as clear indications for all those involved in the area of migration and asylum. The name Global Compact was chosen to ensure global action to a global phenomenon. The Compacts aim at delivering “agreements” enshrining the unitary indications and visions of world governments on economic and forced migrations.
Several “Global compacts” are under way. How do they work?
There are several processes, the one on migration is coordinated by IOM (International Organization for Migration) and by UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Discussions have already begun and are due to continue throughout 2017. A draft text will be released by the beginning of 2018, followed by negotiations. In the second semester of 2018, plans are to adopt a text during an intergovernmental conference.
What did Pope Francis tell you, in particular?
The Pope said: we must be present
And we must ensure that those aspects specifically enshrined in Church social doctrine, reaffirmed on many occasions during his Magisterium – remarkably rich and fruitful on these themes – are disseminated and submitted to national governments for due reflection. The Vatican has a seat at the negotatiating tables, thus it will contribute, alongside with national governments, to the definition of the common grounds that may serve as operational guarantees to ensure the dignity and respect of the migrant population. Some of the points focus on human trafficking: migration has become a big market that brings in huge profits to organized crime.
What is your strategy?
The basic idea is to establish an alliance between the Migrant and Refugee Office and the Secretary of State, tasked with the multilateral work with other Countries and international organizations. We plan a joint course of action, followed by reflections with the involvement of all the most active Catholic organizations with a view to prophetic, effective advocacy at the United Nations. To date we have defined 16 action points. Today we will share them with Bishops Conferences asking them to contribute to their contextualization and, if necessary, their redefinition. We shall then return to the Pope – to whom the points have already been submitted – for their final approval. We will work on these points together, together with Catholic organizations, Bishops’ Conferences and the Secretary of State, so they may be integrated in the Global Compacts.
Could you give us some details on the 16 points?
The 16 action points focus on the four verbs indicated by the Pope: to welcome, to protect, to promote, to integrate.
They are action points, not ideal declarations.
In fact they consist in concrete proposals with operational examples. The last point addresses the major issue, namely, integration. The purpose is
To view our present moment in time not as a problem but as an opportunity to develop the society we dream of.
Does it envisage humanitarian corridors?
Humanitarian corridors are obviously present along with widespread reception and sponsorship. In this respect the Canadian and US models are very interesting and we will surely propose them.
Italian authorities have been recently investigating into accusations against NGOs tasked with saving human lives in the Mediterranean. What is your opinion?
These allegations were all made within the Italian Republic and nowhere else, as far as I know. We have not addressed this issue because it is national, and not global. We have deeply appreciated the Church’s clear remarks. Our chapter adheres to all the statements of the Italian Church.
