Caritas Europa report stresses benefits of migration and development

By Vatican News

“Common Home: migration and development in Europe and beyond” is the title of the report, launched at the European Parliament on Wednesday. The document is based on analysis, testimonies and good practices conducted in eleven European countries.

According to Caritas, “under the right conditions, migration can contribute to the integral human development of migrants, and of members of both countries of destination and countries of origin”.

Recommendations 

The Report puts forward 27 specific recommendations that it addresses to European Union policy-makers under three main points:

1.    The need to change the negative discourse on migration, working to counter rising hostility and harmful attitudes toward migrants and migration.

2.    Maximizing the development potential of migration and enhancing migrants’ integral human development in countries of destination.

3.    Enhancing opportunities for migrants to be able to contribute in countries of origin, ensuring a virtuous circle between migrations and development.

Development

The Report shows that migration and development in Europe, and in other regions of the world, are more closely linked than commonly believed.

The publication concludes that European institutions should place respect for human rights at the core of all partnerships with third countries, and ensure that their external policies do not harm existing development opportunities in developing countries. The report cites the issue of regional mobility across Africa as an example.

Caritas Europa

Caritas Europa is a network of Catholic humanitarian aid organizations present in 46 European countries, and is one of the seven regions of Caritas Internationalis.

The “Common Home” publication is part of a 3-year “Migration. Interconnectedness. Development.” (MIND) project, financed by the European Commission.