Source: Prensa CELAM
CELAM Press. The Clamor Network, after a hard year of work, officially presents the mapping of services to migrants, refugees and victims of trafficking that the Church provides in Latin America and the Caribbean.
These data are updated as of March 2021 and people in a situation of human mobility as well as pastoral agents will be able to access detailed information on accommodation, food, health, clothing, legal advice, spiritual assistance, integration, among many others.
For Monsignor Gustavo Rodríguez , archbishop of Yucatán (Mexico) and president of Clamor, “each person counts, that is why we count, city by city, country by country on the continent, the works that are an expression of a missionary Church, Samaritan, hospital campaign, as Pope Francis has requested, in fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus ”.
A valuable tool
Monsignor Rodríguez assured that now “pastoral agents have this valuable tool to accompany and better serve people in mobility at border points, transit cities and in host communities, facilitating the articulation between works of the Church that are they are in different cities and countries ”.
In this way “ this Mapping will indicate to them which Church organizations , in the city where they are, can advise and support them in the procedures to regularize their immigration status.
“Each person counts, that is why we count, city by city, country by country of the continent, the works that are an expression of a Church in missionary outing, Samaritan, field hospital, as Pope Francis has requested, in fidelity to the Gospel Jesus ”, expressed Monsignor Gustavo.
For a safe migration
For his part, Elvy Monzant , Clamor’s executive secretary, confirms that “our migrant brothers and sisters will find in this Mapping data from 636 works, in approximately 345 cities in 22 countries.”
Among the data that people in human mobility may access are: physical address, email, social networks such as the services provided: accommodation, food, medicine or hygiene kits, legal advice, psychological care, job boards, among others. .
Monzant adds: “This information will help them have a safer migration and protect themselves from human trafficking and smuggling networks. You will be able to know where to turn to find spaces of support, solidarity and fraternity ”.
Concrete examples
Clamor’s executive secretary explains that with this mapping, migrants will be able to solve specific needs and thus avoid falling into the hands of unscrupulous people or criminal networks.
For example: “ A person who has been walking for days , hungry, being cold, without showering, can find information on where to go to sleep on a bed on a web page, at a border post or in a parish. , have a hot soup and use a clean toilet ”.
In addition, those who find themselves with an irregular immigration status in a country “with fear of being deported, the Mapping will indicate which Church organizations, in the city where they are, can advise and support them in the procedures to regularize their situation. migratory ”.
Even “people in need of international protection will know who will be able to accompany them in the long process to request refugee status.”
With all this, victims of trafficking and their families “will know that there are networks of consecrated life that will courageously help them in their fight against the trafficking mafias and in their healing and resilience processes,” he added.
How to access the mapping?
The information is available in two documents that have been prepared for the public domain and free dissemination that you can download on the www.celam.org portal and you can also access this link https://espacios.r4v.info/es/map
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