European Interest

Caritas on migration and development in Europe

Flickr/IFRCRC/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Migrants arrive at the Sicilian port of Catania, Italy.

To raise awareness about the links between migration and development, Caritas Europa is one of 12 Caritas organisations from 11 European countries taking part in a three-year project.

Each year, Caritas will focus on a specific topic that covers the “migratory journey”, including root causes of forced migration, integration and steps for creating welcoming societies, and migrants’ contributions to their communities in their new countries and in the countries of origin.

Co-financed by the European Commission Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO), the “Migration. INterconnectedness. Development” (MIND) project is viewed as an opportunity to contribute to the Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are vital for protecting our common home and the common good.

“With the aim of bringing about global social justice, we seek with this project to contribute to developing policies on migration and development that put the person at the centre. At a time with rising anti-migrant sentiment, we also hope this collaboration will contribute to changing the negative narrative on migration,” said Shannon Pfohman, Caritas Europa’s Policy and Advocacy Director.

Currently, Caritas staff and volunteers in Austria, Bavaria (Germany), Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the secretariat of Caritas Europa in Brussels will engage with residents, enterprises, academics, civil society organisations, diasporas, media outlets, and decision-makers.

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