Monsignor Robert D. Murphy emphasized protecting migrants’ right to life, making greater efforts to reunite families, and eliminating criminal exploitation.<\/p>\n
The Holy See emphasized the need to place human dignity at the center of migration policies during its May 6 address to the Second International Migration Review Forum being held at United Nations headquarters in New York.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Monsignor Robert D. Murphy, interim charg\u00e9 d\u02bcaffaires of the Holy See\u2019s Permanent Observer Mission to the U.N., explained that the Holy See\u2019s approach \u201cis rooted in the Gospel and developed in Catholic social teaching, with the God-given dignity of every human person at its core.”<\/p>\n
He articulated several priorities, among them the protection of the lives of migrants, family unity, and the impact of technology on migration processes.<\/p>\n
The statement was part of the policy debate regarding the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM), highlighting key current and emerging challenges.<\/p>\n
The obligation to protect lives<\/p>\n
Regarding the protection of life, Murphy expressed his concern about the vulnerability of migrants on dangerous routes, pointing out that \u201cprotecting migrants\u2019 lives is an obligation under international law, based on the fundamental right to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in search and rescue operations and of ensuring that the right to life \u201cis never subordinated to any other interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
With regard to family reunification, Murphy noted that regular pathways for this purpose remain limited and called for greater efforts to promote family unity, including its integration into labor mobility schemes and ensuring access to education and healthcare, with particular attention to minors.<\/p>\n
The Vatican representative also addressed the role of technological innovation, recognizing its potential to improve migration systems and make them \u201cmore predictable, accessible, and efficient,\u201d as seen with advancements made in telemedicine, digital recruitment tools, and online consular services.<\/p>\n
However, he warned of the risks associated with the use of surveillance technologies at borders, which, he said, \u201chas raised concerns\u201d within the Holy See \u201cregarding potential human rights violations.\u201d<\/p>\n
In this context, he drew attention to the need to establish \u201cadequate safeguards, robust oversight, and full respect for migrants\u2019 right to privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Online recruitment systems<\/p>\n
The priest also denounced the phenomenon of so-called \u201ccyber-slavery,\u201d a growing threat driven by criminal networks that exploit globalization and technology, which he characterized as \u201cparticularly disturbing,\u201d noting that in these cases, victims are coerced into participating in criminal activities such as online fraud or drug trafficking.<\/p>\n
These forms of violence, he noted, \u201care not isolated incidents, but symptoms of a culture that has forgotten how to love as Christ loves.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his conclusion, Murphy quoted Pope Leo XIV to underscore the human dimension of migration: \u201cEvery migrant is a person and, as such, has inalienable rights that must be respected in every situation. Not all migrants move by choice, but many are forced to flee because of violence, persecution, conflict, and even the effects of climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Based on this situation, the Holy See warned that the debate on migration governance must not be reduced to a technical exercise.<\/p>\n
\u201cBehind each objective of the GCM and policy effort stands the God-given dignity of migrants, demanding not only better governance but also solidarity, collective responsibility, and sustained efforts to ensure their protection and inclusion,\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n
Acest articol a fost publicat ini\u021bial de ACI Prensa, serviciul de limb\u0103 spaniol\u0103 al EWTN News. Ea a fost tradus\u0103 \u0219i adaptat\u0103 de EWTN News English.<\/p>\n