Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Church has a long history of providing aid and support to asylum seekers and refugees. The Church teaches that all people have the right to live a dignified life and that migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers should be cared for with respect and welcomed into their new communities. This is reflected in the Bible, where Jesus identifies himself as a stranger to be welcomed (Matthew 25:35). Catholic Charities agencies in the US offer various services to asylum seekers, including food, clothing, and shelter, and legal assistance. While the Church recognizes the right of nations to control their borders, it also upholds the right of individuals to migrate in search of safety.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Asylum seekers' rights | Asylum seekers have the right to protection and should not be returned to their country if they have a well-founded fear of persecution. |
| Catholic Church's teachings on asylum seekers | The Catholic Church teaches that asylum seekers should be treated with dignity and respect and that they have the right to live a dignified life in their homeland. The Church also emphasizes the importance of welcoming the stranger and promoting integration into the host community. |
| Catholic aid for asylum seekers | Catholic Charities agencies offer various services to asylum seekers, including food, clothing, and shelter, legal services, and case management. |
| Catholic Social Teaching on asylum seekers | Asylum seekers are to be welcomed and protected, as exemplified by the Holy Family fleeing into Egypt. |
| Catholic perspective on migration | The Catholic Church recognizes the right of nations to control their borders and the right of individuals to migrate for safety. |
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What You'll Learn
Catholic Social Teaching
According to Catholic Social Teaching, human dignity takes precedence over legal status or national interests. It upholds that anyone forced to migrate to preserve their lives or dignity has a moral claim to the hospitality of others. Asylum seekers, fleeing persecution, violence, and life-threatening situations, are to be welcomed, respected, and supported. Their plight calls for reciprocal acceptance, overcoming discrimination, and the provision of concrete solidarity through hospitality and resettlement programs.
The Church recognizes the right of nations to control their borders and the flow of migrants. Simultaneously, it affirms the right of individuals to migrate in search of safety. While migration and forced displacement have gained prominence in Catholic Social Teaching since the mid-twentieth century, Pope Pius XII's response to post-World War II migrations affirmed the right to migrate. The Apostolic Constitution Exsul Familia Nazarathana, issued in 1952, outlined the Church's responsibilities toward migrants as a matter of charity, justice, and solidarity.
The Catholic Church's teachings on asylum seekers extend beyond charity and are rooted in justice and human dignity. The Church's agencies and charities provide practical support, including food, clothing, shelter, legal aid, and case management, to asylum seekers and refugees. This assistance is viewed not as an act of charity but as a recognition of the inherent dignity and rights of all people, regardless of their legal status or geographic location.
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Asylum seekers' rights
Asylum seekers are people who are outside their country of nationality and are seeking international protection from conflict or persecution. They are often forced to flee their homes due to war, human rights violations, and threats to their lives or freedom. Asylum seekers have the right to seek asylum, which is protected by international law and human rights law. This is known as the principle of non-refoulement, which means that asylum seekers cannot be expelled or returned to situations where their lives or freedoms are at risk.
The Catholic Church recognizes the right of individuals to migrate in search of safety and protection. They believe that all people have the right to live a dignified life and that asylum seekers, as the most vulnerable members of society, should be welcomed and integrated into their new communities. The Church provides humanitarian services such as food, clothing, and shelter to asylum seekers, and promotes their integration into society.
In the United States, asylum seekers must apply for legal protection and are not entitled to permanent legal status or public benefits until their request is approved. The process typically involves submitting an application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Asylum Office and undergoing an interview. If the asylum officer denies the application, the case may be referred to an immigration court. Asylum seekers have the right to appeal denials to the Board of Immigration Appeals and the appropriate Circuit Court of Appeals.
During the asylum process, individuals may be subject to electronic monitoring, regular check-ins with immigration authorities, and home visits as an "alternative to detention." They may also receive humanitarian services from organizations like Catholic Charities, which provides food, clothing, shelter, transportation support, and legal services to asylum seekers.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) works to protect asylum seekers' rights, including the right to have their claims heard fairly and efficiently. They advocate for access to education, healthcare, and other essential services while individuals await the outcome of their asylum applications. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, along with human rights treaties, provide the legal framework for protecting the rights of asylum seekers and refugees.
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Catholic Charities
The Catholic Church has a long history of providing aid and support to asylum seekers and refugees. The Church teaches that all people have the right to live a dignified life and that migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers should be cared for with dignity and respect. This belief is rooted in the Church's understanding that human life is sacred and that each person is created in the image of God.
In addition to meeting basic needs, Catholic Charities also assists asylum seekers with legal services, case management, and transportation support. They help with immigration processes, including reunification with relatives and foster care placements for unaccompanied children. Catholic Charities also operates a multilingual immigration information and referral phone service, offering confidential answers to immigration and citizenship-related questions.
The organization emphasizes the importance of not only providing charitable services but also promoting real integration for asylum seekers and refugees into their new communities. This includes helping migrants find a place to live and work peacefully, accessing benefits and services, and navigating school enrollment and job training. Catholic Charities advocates for bipartisan and humane reforms to the immigration system, prioritizing both border security and the dignity of those seeking asylum.
Through these actions, Catholic Charities strives to answer Pope Francis' call to "see Christ in every brother and sister in need" and to uphold the Church's teachings on hospitality and protection for strangers.
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The Holy Family as refugees
The Holy Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—are considered by many to be the archetype of every refugee family. The Gospel of Matthew recounts how the Holy Family fled Bethlehem for Egypt due to a “well-founded fear of persecution” because they belonged to a "particular social group", namely people with young children. This fear of persecution is a key factor in defining a refugee.
The Holy Family's flight to Egypt is often cited as a biblical precedent for welcoming the outsider, especially the poor and marginalized. The story emphasizes the importance of hospitality and protection for strangers, as instructed in Leviticus 19:33-34: "When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong...You shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."
The Catholic Church, guided by this biblical example, teaches that all people have the right to live a dignified life in their homeland. However, recognizing the right of individuals to migrate in search of safety, the Church also advocates for the protection and dignified treatment of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Pope Francis, in his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees in 2016, emphasized that "each of us is responsible for his or her neighbour...wherever they live."
The story of the Holy Family as refugees serves as a powerful reminder for Christians to welcome and care for those seeking refuge, just as they would welcome Jesus himself. This biblical narrative underscores the Church's teachings on the inherent dignity of every person and the duty to share resources and integrate migrants into host communities, promoting real integration and active participation in society.
Overall, the story of the Holy Family as refugees is a central teaching of the Church, encouraging hospitality, protection, and compassion for those fleeing persecution, violence, or instability, and seeking a safe haven in a new land.
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Catholic teachings on migration
The Catholic Church's teachings on migration are based on the belief that all people have the right to live a dignified life in their homeland. The Church recognizes the right of individuals to migrate in search of safety and security, and that migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and all displaced persons should be treated with dignity and respect. The Church also emphasizes the importance of welcoming the stranger and promoting integration, rather than simply offering charitable services.
According to Catholic Social Teaching, the Holy Family, in their flight to Egypt, is the "archetype of every refugee family." Jesus identified with newcomers, saying, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me," and Catholic tradition holds that newcomers "image" God. This tradition views migration not as a divisive phenomenon but as an opportunity to build the human family. It recognizes a range of human rights for newcomers, based on their God-given dignity, which extends beyond those recognized by individual nations or international bodies.
The Church teaches that asylum seekers who have been forced from their homeland have a duty to integrate into their host community. Refugees should be treated on the same level as citizens of the hosting country or, at the very least, on par with other resident foreigners, with access to the same rights. The Church also believes that the most vulnerable people are not just those in need but are members of our family with whom we have a duty to share our resources. This is reflected in the work of Catholic Charities agencies, which offer a range of services to asylum seekers, including food, clothing, shelter, transportation support, and legal services.
The overriding principle of Catholic social teaching is that individuals must make economic, political, and social decisions, not only considering their self-interest but with regard for the common good. This means that while recognizing a country's right to control its borders, immigration policies must be governed by concern for all people and by mercy and justice. In practice, this means that while no country is bound to accept all those who wish to resettle there, they must not turn away those with a well-founded fear of persecution.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church teaches that all people have the right to live a dignified life in their homeland. Tragically, over 45 million people around the world are displaced. The Church teaches that anyone whose life is threatened has the right to protection. Asylum seekers who have been forced from their homeland have a duty to integrate into the host community, and the host community must favour this integration.
The Catholic Church calls its followers to see migrants not as "others", but as human beings, our brothers and sisters, created in God's image. The Church recognizes the right of individuals to migrate in search of safety and security, which often means leaving their country of origin.
Catholic Charities agencies offer a continuum of services to those in need, including asylum seekers and refugees. For asylum seekers arriving at the Southern US border, those services may include food, clothing, shelter, transportation support, immigration legal services and case management.
Catholic Social Teaching emphasizes the importance of welcoming the outsider, especially the poor and marginalized. The story of Mary and Joseph, who were forced to flee into Egypt from their homeland, is central to the teaching of the Church – hospitality and protection for the stranger in our midst.
