"Affirming rights means not looking away when faced with migrants": this is what the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella said in his end-of-year speech.
World Refugee Day 2024, which is celebrated on June 20, aims to be an opportunity to reflect on the protection of human rights for all and on the paths to take together to build a society that is truly free and open to differences, capable of recognizing and respecting diversity.

The theme was at the center of the meeting on migration, organized by the Astalli Center of Rome, on Thursday, June 13, in collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Pontifical Gregorian University. After the greeting of Father Camillo Ripamonti, president of the Astalli Center, Monsignor Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for the Evangelization of the Holy See, and the economist  Tito Boeri spoke, moderated by the journalist of Il Sole 24 Ore Carlo Marroni.
The meeting opened with the testimony of Fardusa, a refugee from Somalia.

(Vatican City – Vatican News ). An opportunity to reflect on the protection of human rights for all and on the paths to follow to build a society that is truly free and open to differences, capable of recognizing and respecting diversity. This was the objective of the meeting  “Refugees: fighters of hope, sowers of peace”,  which took place in the afternoon of June 13, in the Aula Magna of the Pontifical Gregorian University and saw a dialogue between Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, and economist Tito Boeri.

A Prelude to the Jubilee

“The Astalli Center has been dealing with these issues for many years now,” explains Monsignor Fisichella. “The theme chosen for this meeting is a prelude to the upcoming Jubilee, in which we must not forget that there will be a day dedicated to refugees and migrants. This is one of those additional signals that we are called to grasp in order to understand the meaning of Christian hope.”

Pope Francis often reminds us of the importance of welcoming those who are forced to flee from countries experiencing extremely difficult situations such as wars, or climate changes so violent that they no longer allow them to remain in their own homeland. “The Pontiff’s teaching finds a natural response in a city like Rome,” Fisichella emphasizes, “because our capital is defined as  Patria communis,  that is, a homeland that welcomes everyone. Here, no one feels like a stranger or a guest, so it is natural to welcome these people who often come from very complicated situations and who also have a very great fragility that requires special attention.”

Global Trends and Church's Role

As emerges from the latest Global Trends 2024 report by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the number of people forced to leave their homes is dramatically increasing, reaching 120 million in May. “The international situation is increasingly frightening,” the archbishop points out, “the Church, which is the bearer of hope, cannot remain indifferent to so much pain, let us remember the words of Jesus, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’, so for us this is a central, not marginal, issue. The Church can certainly become the voice of those who no longer have the strength to speak, such as refugees and migrants who are not listened to by anyone. But then international institutions must also intervene to concretely help these people to no longer be forced to live through very dramatic choices and situations.”

Situations like that of Fardusa, forced to flee Somalia because of the war that had been raging in her country for many years. “My name means Paradise,” she said emotionally during the meeting, “even though, in reality, as a child I only knew war, which slowly took everything away from me. When I left home to go to school I didn’t know if I would return. So I decided to leave. The day I said goodbye to my parents was heartbreaking, because I didn’t know if I would see them again.” For the girl, then began the journey that soon turned into a nightmare: “They beat us,” she explained, her voice broken by tears, “we had no food or water. When we crossed they piled us into a small boat and I was so scared. After a few hours the engine broke and we remained in the middle of the sea for five days. I wanted to go back to my family, so as not to die alone. Then the Italian Coast Guard arrived: for me it was a miracle. They brought us to safety and then I arrived in Rome where I met the Astalli Center”. Now Fardusa takes care of people who need help: “For me a new life has begun, but I do not forget those who are still in great difficulty”.

Economic Perspectives on Migration

The meeting was also attended by economist Tito Boeri, who underlined how the countries that today have a very high debt are those that suffer the most from the effects of greenhouse gases on the environment, emitted by the richest countries. "On the environmental level - explained the economist - the real creditors are the poor countries compared to the advanced ones. The issue of environmental debt is often forgotten and not talked about, but in reality it is the main cause of the terrible living conditions in which these people are forced to live, and which then leads them to seek a new hope of life through emigration. It becomes difficult for these nations to be able to pay off the debt one day, because they would only get into further debt, therefore forgiveness could be the only plausible solution to really help them. Only in this way would they start growing and breathing again. While with this policy they will become more and more impoverished, dragging the creditor countries along with them".