The Holy See emphasised the need to place human dignity at the centre of migration policies during an address to the Second International Migration Review Forum held at United Nations headquarters in New York. Source: EWTN News.
In a statement on May 6, Msgr Robert Murphy, interim chargé dʼaffaires of the Holy See’s Permanent Observer Mission to the UN, explained that the Holy See’s approach “is rooted in the Gospel and developed in Catholic social teaching, with the God-given dignity of every human person at its core”.
He articulated several priorities, including the protection of migrants’ lives, family unity, and the impact of technology on migration processes.
The statement was part of the policy debate on implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, highlighting key current and emerging challenges.
Regarding the protection of life, Msgr Murphy expressed his concern about the vulnerability of migrants on dangerous routes, pointing out that “protecting migrants’ lives is an obligation under international law, based on the fundamental right to life”.
He also emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation in search and rescue operations and of ensuring that the right to life “is never subordinated to any other interests”.
With regard to family reunification, Msgr Murphy noted that regular pathways for this purpose remain limited and called for greater efforts to promote family unity, including its integration into labour mobility schemes and ensuring access to education and healthcare, with particular attention to minors.
The Vatican representative also addressed the role of technological innovation, recognising its potential to improve migration systems and make them “more predictable, accessible, and efficient,” as seen with advancements made in telemedicine, digital recruitment tools, and online consular services.
However, he warned of the risks associated with the use of surveillance technologies at borders, which, he said, “has raised concerns” within the Holy See “regarding potential human rights violations.”
In this context, he drew attention to the need to establish “adequate safeguards, robust oversight, and full respect for migrants’ right to privacy.”
FULL STORY
Holy See calls on UN to never subordinate migrants’ lives to other interests (By Victoria Cardiel, EWTN News)
