Migrants, Refugees and IDPs – Some Current Concerns

2. Since the First Consultative Meeting in June 1992, many changes have taken place. East Asia, for instance, has become a major host to migrant labor. This is a complex social issue. Even though there is a demand for foreign labor, migration policies in host countries have continued to be restrictive as before. There is an increase flow of undocumented workers and in many instances trafficking of people.
Asian women are now the fastest growing category of international migrant workers and important foreign exchange contributors to their countries. While there are many success stories, women remain particularly vulnerable to various forms of discrimination, exploitation and abuse. In order to deal with it we need to use a multidisciplinary approach with coordination among social and political organizations.

3. As a result of armed conflict and violation of human rights, hundreds of thousands of people in the Asian region have become refugees or internally displaced persons. Their numbers have decreased particularly with the Comprehensive Plan of Action which concludes on 30 June 1996. There are many signs of uncertainty and we remain firmly opposed to any form of forced repatriation.
Repatriation to areas of conflict and instability, particularly to Myanmar, still remain a matter of concern.
In South Asia, many "Silent Emergencies" continue: the Bhutanese Refugees in Nepal and India, Tibetan Refugees in India and Nepal, the Jumma Refugees from Chittagong Hill Tracts in India and the Biharis in Bangladesh. We also note with concern the escalation of the war in Sri Lanka and the suffering and displacement of over a million civilians.

4. Refugee flows and the creation of internally displaced persons can be traced to a serious breakdown in relationships between states and communities; often on religious, language and ethnic grounds; social and economic imbalances, conflict and human rights violations.
If Asia is to develop as an orderly and peaceful region, disparities should be decreased and migration should become a choice and not a necessity.

Current concerns in the light of God’s Word

5. We recognize the presence of Christ in those displaced by conflicts, oppression, disaster, and greed. It is Christ who cannot find a place among those who abuse their sisters and brothers; it is Christ who journeys with those who are searching for a better future and for a more welcoming community, because in their search is the search for a new heaven and a new earth (see Rev. 21:2).

6. Mission is proclamation and action. We are called upon to identify the world of sin which brings injustices and hardships to our people and defend their rights. The migrants, the displaced and the refugees become the focus of our action. In understanding our task we remind ourselves that the paths to faith and justice are inseparable.

7. The pilgrim church is called upon to journey the undivided road, the steep road. We travel and toil in the pluralistic world around us. In the global village, we find a diversity of peoples, cultures, religions and ideologies. We cannot pretend that our faiths or a real plurality do not exist. Our task must be people-centred and all inclusive, giving those oppressed their new and rightful place.

Pastoral Commitments

8. The love of Christ urges us to continually commit ourselves to the service of all uprooted people. In the building of just and humane community we build the Kingdom of God. We need to prioritize our action in the following areas:
Labor Migration – A complex web of recruitment of labor has emerged in response to the demand and supply of migrant workers. Many recruiting agencies are responsible for an unreasonable increase in migration costs, contract substitution, and arrangements which lead to labor indenture and trafficking in migrants. We will continue to dialogue and negotiate to pressure governments to institute legislation aimed at preventing exploitation of migrant workers and ensure the enforcement of these laws where they already exist.
Migrant Women – Migrant women in Asia are predominantly employed as health workers, domestic helpers and entertainers, often earning low wages and at considerable risk to their physical and moral integrity. We need to seek ways to create awareness among women to avoid migrating for occupations which are morally degrading. We need also to offer shelter and counselling to women who are forced to flee abusive working conditions.
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons – We are constantly aware of events that can lead to the creation of refugees and internally displaced persons and need to take steps to address these issues. Once displacement has become an unfortunate reality, we need to play a catalytical role by constantly working for peace and reconciliation. We need also to facilitate return to normalcy in countries of displacement by supporting development activities, thus enabling the displaced persons to return home in safety and dignity. In this effort close co-operation with NGOs and bilateral agencies, particularly the UNHCR, is of great importance. Wars are sustained by the arms industry. We need to particularly condemn those who produce and sell anti-personnel mines and other weapons that maim and kill not only the combatants but innocent civilians.
Family – Labor migration and armed conflicts usually split families. Most receiving countries, particularly in the Middle East and East Asia do not allow migrant workers to come with their families. Situations of displacement place a tremendous stress on families and family life. In order to address these issues it is necessary to seek ways and means of promoting family reunification, call for policies which will allow for medium and long term residence permits and provide care and education of children.
Human rights – Application of human rights instruments on migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons should form the basis of advocacy on their behalf. In the Church, efforts should be made not only to study these instruments but also to disseminate this information among the uprooted people themselves. We call on governments to sign and ratify the various UN Conventions on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
In the event of a permanent break up of families we need to ensure the recognition and acceptance of children abandoned by their parents, including the stateless ones, and also support for spouses left behind.

As we move towards the year 2000 and beyond, there are some vital signs of hope for the future. We have become more aware of the close relationship as a human family. There is a certain coming of age of the Churches. The issue of human rights, the issue of justice has come to the fore. In the many areas through our service to migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons, we witness our faith in action and discover an improvement in the quality of life of our people. In Asia we are working together in a spirit of tolerance and acceptance with people of different ethnicity, belief and culture. Our unique contribution is our vision of Jesus Christ, and our Christian spirituality manifested through dialogue, discernment, and deeds. As Church, we need to walk in compassion and humility, in accompaniment with all the peoples of Asia as they pray, work, struggle and suffer for a better human life, in their search for meaning of human life and progress.

The Second Consultation on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees in Asia has identified several priority issues that call for action at this particular moment in the development of migration trends and of involuntary displacement throughout the continent. In order to ensure proper planning and implementation, the participants in the Consultation commit themselves to promote and undertake the following pastoral strategies at different levels of the Church’s organization and of the societies within which they operate.

1. In dioceses where the phenomenon of emigration and immigration is more acute, a point of reference (a center; a specially trained person) should be made available with responsibility to provided information, counselling, spiritual care and legal advice for migrants before leaving the home country, during their stay abroad and finally upon their return home. Migrants present in the diocese should be provided with pastoral and social care.

2. An important dimension of the mission of every parish is the education of the local community to become aware of the plight of its migrants and to welcome strangers arriving in its territory. In diocesan pastoral and clergy meetings and during training in the seminaries the issue of migration and involuntary displacement in all its forms should be included. Lay leaders should be provided with training and sensitized on these issues.

Training and conscientization is already provided in several countries with concrete positive results. In places where national Bishops Conferences have not been able to establish a program there should be a service in the form of an Episcopal Commission of Human Mobility or a Bishop made responsible to address this concern. The task of this service is spelt out in the detail in the basic Church document on this ministry, "On the Pastoral Care of Migrant" by Pope Paul VI. Among other provisions, such a service would include:

1. coalition building with other NGOs and especially with other Christian groups involved with migrants

2. dialogue of life with other faiths

2. Information exchange

1. publications

2. use of communication media

3. training on advocacy work

4. campaigning for a country’s legislation aimed at preventing exploitation

5. creating a public opinion that would support the appropriate delivery of diplomatic services in favor of migrant worker in the country where they reside

6. appropriate observance of a national Migration Day to sensitize Church and society regarding migration issues (migrants, refugees, internally displaced, immigrants)

7. work for the ratification of the U.N. Conventions (on refugees, labor, immigrants) when these instruments have not yet been ratified by the countries concerned

3. Pastoral personnel

1. preparation of pastoral agents to serve migrants

2. exchange /sending of pastoral personnel to the migrant communities with appropriate formal agreements between the sending and receiving episcopal conferences, dioceses, religious provinces, as the case may be.

1. Regional sharing of information. During the Consultation it has become evident that there is a need for regional networking among the local Churches in the area of migration and involuntary displacement of people. A similar concern emerged in the First Consultation; at that time the participants called for the establishment of a regional information/coordination service in the area of the pastoral care, protection of human rights and advocacy for adequate services for all uprooted and displaced people, migrant workers, refugees, immigrants, internally displaced people. To achieve this objective, it has been recommended that a specific proposal for such a service be circulated in the name of the Consultation by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants to all the Presidents of the Bishops Conferences of Asia. The proposal requests their concurrance on this matter within the structure of the FABC. In the meantime, as an experiment, a leading migration country would carry out the following activities for a year:

1. Foster better awareness among the churches on migration services, activities and programs carried out by the different Episcopal Conferences or through other implementing bodies;

2. Create an effective information-sharing system (Newsletter, Internet) about programs and services as well as migration policy developments in Asia;

3. Help in preparing advocacy initiatives regarding migrants rights, undocumented workers and in the trafficking of women;

4. Prepare a meeting inviting the Bishops Episcopal Commissions on Migration, ICMC, Caritas, APHD, Religious Congregations and others who are already working in the field of migration, for sharing of information, experiences and planning.

During this first year; communications will be sent to people in the field (executive secretaries, directors) as well as to the Bishop responsible for migration questions.

2. Coalition building with other migration and refugee NGOs in the Asian continent will strengthen the service to all uprooted people and it should be encouraged.

3. There is a need to pursue a "Dialogue of life" with other faiths concerning the dignity, human rights, conditions of work, cultural and religious traditions of migrants and refugees.

4. Information Exchange

1. Dissemination of information at all levels

2. Publications

3. Use of communication media (utilizing Catholic resources like Radio Veritas, Diocesan Newspapers, TV channels where available, Internet…)

1. A campaign for the ratification of the U.N. International Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families has been called for by the participants in the Consultation. A small committee of persons will be convened by ICMC and draw up a plan of action to be circulated to all participants. This effort will be carried out in collaboration with the Migrants Rights Watch Committee (Geneva).

2. Training on advocacy work