“The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has called 2023 as the deadliest year of the decade for migrants, reporting at least 8,565 lives lost in search of a new beginning, underscoring the perilous journeys many undertake to escape the critical lack of safe, legal migration options.”
“For more well over a decade Caritas Benin has been conducting a reintegration program for people who left for Europe without proper documents and subsequently decided voluntarily to return home. While they come from various regions of the West African country,”
“Pope Francis has challenged Catholics in Hungary to be more welcoming and accepting of others, including refugees and immigrants, an extremely sensitive issue in this Central European nation led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban.”
“Pope Francis has challenged Catholics to "always be inclusive" in the Church and society still marred by many forms of inequality and marginalization, pointing out that the exclusion of migrants today is "scandalous" and "criminal." "The exclusion of emigrants is scandalous.”
“3rd week of a hunger strike in the Church of Saint-Pierre in the French port city of Calais. Two volunteers for Secours Catholique (Caritas France) – Anaïs Vogel and Ludovic Holbein – and the organization's Jesuit chaplain – Father Philippe Demeestère – have not eaten since October 11.”
“A Catholic church in the town of Briançon in the French Alps opened its doors on Monday evening to shelter more than a hundred migrants. The bishop of Gap, the diocese in which the town is located, approved the action.”
“The seven-hour stop in Budapest was the start of a three-and-a-half-day papal visit to Slovakia that commenced on Sunday afternoon. Earlier in the morning Francis met with the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, whose convictions on welcoming migrants are the exact opposite of his own.”
“A Rwandan immigrant awaiting trial for the arson of the cathedral in Nantes turned himself in to police for killing Father Maire. Media reported police sources said early indications were that Emmanuel Abayisenga had beaten Father Maire to death. Abayisenga, 40, a Catholic,”