Viewpoints and Advocacy

Church and Migration

• Statement by H.E. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio, at the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights: Religious Freedom, New York, 20 October 2008.  (PDF 11 KB).

• Statement by H.E. Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See, at the 59th Session of the Executive Committee United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Geneva, 7 October, 2008.

• <African migrants in Europe and in the Church - Pastoral responsibilities>: recommendations adopted at the Annual meeting of Directors for the pastoral care of migrants in Europe (Vienna, 12-14 September 2008).             *English                         *Francais                                 *Deutsch                          *Italiano 

• Statement by H.E Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio Permanent Observer of the Holy See at the 63rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, New York, 29 September 2008. (PDF 41KB).

• Pope's Appeal for solidarity with illegal migrants

• Mission for Migrants in England and Wales - A report by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. April, 2008.

• Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community -jointly issued with the Conference of European Churches. February 19, 2008.

• Letter from from the Dimensión de la Pastoral de la Movilidad Humana of the Mexican Episcopal Conference : Migration and the Family (in Spanish)

• Human trafficking ‘horrific crime’ against dignity, US Bishop urges action - Bishop Gerald R. Barnes, Chair of USCCB Committee on Migration, September
  2007

• Towards a balanced Approach in EU Migration and Asylum Policy
  12 Recommendations - July 2007

• Statement by H.E. Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Office in Geneva. 17-18 April 2007

• Improvements on the right to stay for foreigners in Germany. Press release from the German Evangelical Bishops’ Conference. (original text in German) March 13, 2007

• Mensaje dirigido a los Pastores reunidos en la V Conferencia General del Episcopado Latinoamericano y del Caribe, Aparecida, Brasil - 13 - 31 de mayo 2007.

• Course offerings in Migration Theology. The Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Maryhill School of Theology (MST) and the Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC) will be opening up with a curse to better address your involvement with the migrants' apostolate.

• Material received from our members for the 2007 World Day of Migrants and Refugees: Nine Challenges to Parish and Diocesan Social Concerns Committees

• Two Processes, one same Story, Migration and the Church, Pastoral de la Movilidad Humana, Perú (original text in Spanish: Dos Procesos, Una Historia, La Migración y la Iglesia)

• Consilium Conferentiarum Episcoporum Europae (CCEE)
  Migration and youth: a chance for the Church and society in Europe - September 24, 2006

• French version

• Italian version

• Letter signed by US faith-based leaders, including the Bishop chairing the US Bishop's Conference Committee on Migration, for refugee ressettlement advocacy - August 24, 2006

• Colorado Bishops Warn Against Alarmist Approach to Immigration Laws
  By Catholic News Service - July 11, 2006

• Bishops Urge Congress on Immigration
  June 14, 2006

• Open Letter of the United Christian Churches in Belgium, on the occasion of World Refugee Day (original text in French) - May 16, 2006

• Communication form the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council
  "Thematic programme for the cooperation with the third countries in the area of migration and asylum - COM(2006) 26 final - May 12, 2006

• Catholic Social Teaching
  The Foundation for ICMC's Advocacy Work

• From the President's Desk "I Am Not a Criminal!"
  Immigration Becomes the Civil Rights Issue of Our Decade
  By Ralston Deffenbaugh, LIRS President - May 2006

• Cardinals Visit White House, Hill on Immigration Reform
  By Jerry Filteau - Catholic News Service - April 28, 2006

• Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahoney on immigration
  article from the National Catholic Reporter - April 14, 2006

• Joint comments on the Commission Communication presenting A Common Agenda for Integration Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union, COM (2005) 389 final - April 2006

• Called by God To Help - The Cardinal Archbishop Got it Righ - March 22, 2006

• Comments on the European Commission’s Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals COM (2005) 391 - March 2006

• A Statement about Refugees - December 2005

• Discussion on the situation in the Spanish autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla at
  the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 12 October 2005 - October 2005

• Communication on The Hague Programme: Ten priorities for the next five years –
  The Partnership for European renewal in the field of Freedom, Security and Justice (COM 2005, 185) - June 14, 2005

• The Theology of Migration
  By Mark Franken, Executive Director of Migration and Refugee Services, US Conference of Catholic Bishops – Presented to the Board of Directors - Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services - October 28, 2004

• Towards a balanced approach in EU Migration and Asylum Policy
  12 Recommendations - October 8, 2004