Pope Leo XIV has called on public and private institutions to place “at the center” the protection and dignity of migrant minors and has urged the promotion of family reunification.
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“Public and private institutions are obliged to place at the center the protection and dignity of every child and adolescent. This involves the adoption of effective legal protection instruments, promoting family reunification and avoiding the trauma of separation,” he stated in his message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, to be held on September 27.
According to ‘Vatican News’, the Pontiff emphasized that every displaced minor has a face, a story, and a dignity that cannot remain hidden behind statistics.
Similarly, he pointed out that there are children who have lost their parents, siblings, or friends and who are witnesses to “indescribable violence.” “Others, separated from their families for long periods, try to reunite with them, meanwhile living with the anguish of distance. There are also minors who face the journey alongside their parents but are exposed to extreme and traumatic conditions. Finally, we cannot forget the tragic situation of those who are separated from their parents due to repatriation,” he noted.
In addition to demanding protection for migrants in transit and destination countries, Leo XIV considers it necessary to also act in places of origin to eliminate the causes that force minors to leave their homes.
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“Unfortunately, migrant minors are more easily relegated to invisibility, lacking adults to protect and support them. It is necessary to intervene in countries of origin to eliminate the possible causes that force them to flee, as well as to offer protection and reception in transit and arrival countries,” he emphasized.
Likewise, he addressed individual responsibility and invited opening eyes and hearts to learn the stories of migrant minors. “Even one of these little ones calls us, in our personal lives, to open our eyes and hearts to deeply listen to their story, their fears, and their dreams, overcoming that indifference that reduces the human being to a statistical figure that does not directly affect us”, he explained.
He also highlighted that responsibility cannot fall exclusively on specialized organizations and pointed out that the entire Christian community is called to consider migrant and refugee minors as part of their own family.
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