Create Migrant, Refugee Offices in Parishes, South African Catholic Archbishop Proposes

“That for me will be the only way of responding strongly to people who criticize migrants without documents,” the local ordinary of Johannesburg Archdiocese who doubles as the Liaison Bishop for Migrants and Refugees of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) said.

In his considered view, the first thing to be done is to consider creating communities at parish level through an ecumenical outreach so as to complement the work done by other organizations that deal with issues of refugees and migrants.

“In the work we do, we should complement what other churches or non-governmental organizations are doing so that together we become the buffer; we become the support group that will protect the refugees and migrants,” the South African Archbishop said.

Addressing the issue of unemployment among refugees and migrants, the Catholic Archbishop said that the vulnerable group find it difficult to secure a job.

Unable to find jobs, refugees have resorted to creating jobs for themselves in their host countries, the 73-year-old Archbishop says, and adds, “They run bazaar shops and do all sorts of different business undertakings in order to maintain their families.”

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He urged members of the host communities not to feel intimidated by the struggles of the refugees and migrants in an effort to fend for themselves and their respective families because they are doing what everyone including the locals themselves are doing.

“If local people are … creating jobs for themselves and not expecting business or government to give them jobs, then they should not complain about why foreign nationals are working because their struggle is not different from that of refugees,” he said.

Addressing Christian faithful, Archbishop Tlhagale said, “To be the disciples of Christ, we need to think about mercy, generosity and indeed love and therefore should motivate those we live with to have the same passion for the ones who are in need.”

He added, “Looking at the entire world, migrants and refugees from all sorts of countries are a reality. These people live in the open during winter and they need to be attended to because they are human beings.”

Archbishop Tlhagale added in reference to refugees and migrants, “They cannot be left to hunt for food like animals, sleep in the open like animals, especially by those of us who claim to be Christians.”

Earlier in the week, Archbishop Tlhagale said that there is need for the refugees and migrants to be considered as a “new missionary territory” because of the difficulties they face in their attempt to move across borders.

Members of the group, Archbishop Tlhagale said in his Tuesday, November 23 homily, “live and sleep in the open because they are denied permission to cross the boundaries… And that is why we are saying migrants and refugees are a new missionary territory these days.”

“When we celebrate advent, we hope that Christ will find us eager to welcome him. So, we pray that we too should be eager to welcome visitors, to welcome migrants and refugees in our community,” Archbishop Tlhagale said in his homily at the commencement of a two-day workshop that was organized to deliberate on the pastoral care of migrants and refugees in South Africa.

This story was first published by ACI Africa on 25 November 2021

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.