VATICAN - Migration and new forms of slavery: “The Church combats modern forms of slavery, through her convictions, teachings and activity, inspired by the Lord's Gospel of love and compassion and the dignity of every human person ”

Rome (Agenzia Fides) – “ The Church combats modern forms of slavery, through her convictions, teachings and activity, inspired by the Lord's Gospel of love and compassion and the dignity of every human person, using the means at her disposal, in keeping with her nature and mission”: this was said by Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, during a conference on Migration and New Slavery, held in Rome, at the Convention of Consiglio Nazionale Forense.
The Church, the Archbishop said, “invites all people goodwill to respond to the powerful call of the Instruction Erga migrantes caritas Christi to be ‘promoters of an authentic culture of acceptance ' and to Christians to respond to the call of St Paul ‘accept one another as Christ accepts you for the glory of God.”
To have an idea of the size of the migratory phenomenon in the world, Archbishop Marchetto recalled that the world has about 200 million international migrants. UNHCR, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, cares for about 32.9 million. Of these 9.9 million are refugees, 12.8 million are internally displaced persons and 5.8 million are stateless persons. Another 4.2 million refugees are under the protection of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East)..
The UN defines human trafficking as “ recruitment, transport, transfer, accommodation or acceptance of persons ”, with improper means including threats, recourse to violence and other means of coercion, kidnapping, fraud, deception, abuse of power and a state of vulnerability “for exploitation”. This includes various forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices and even removal of organs.
“The coming into force of the Protocol on Human Trafficking in December 2003, posed important challenges in terms of concepts with regard to the application of the law – said Archbishop Marchetto -. It introduced in international law the concept of exploitation, until then quite new, which can consist of labour abuse or sexual abuse”. According to the ILO report on forced labour, at least 12.3 million people live in conditions of slavery and “there are at least three kinds of modern slavery: state imposed, sex trade organised by private citizens and economic exploitation, also by private citizens”. Among these modern slaves, 2.4 million are victims of human trafficking, another 7.4 million are exploited by private citizens, and 2.5 million are subject to forced labour by governments or military groups. Figures show that forced labour involving governments or military, amounts to about 20% of all slaves today. The remaining 9.8 million 1.4 (11%) are exploited in prostitution (victims of trafficking and non) and 7.8 million (an amazing 63%) are subject to slavery for economic reasons. A little less than half of all human trafficking (43%) is for sexual exploitation and commercial ends, and almost one third (32%) for economic ends. A good quarter (25%) is due to mixed or undetermined reasons, and we know that one purpose of human trafficking is organ removal.
More than half (56%) of those trapped in exploitation for commercial ends are women and girls, whereas men and boys account for less than half (44%). In exploitation for prostitution, women and girls constitute almost the totality, (98%). It is estimated that children represent between 40 and 50% of the victims.
“The Church has not remain indifferent or silent with regard to modern forms of slavery ” said Archbishop Marchetto, citing various documents from Vatican II to the Instruction Erga migrantes caritas Christi, which speaks of human trafficking as “a new chapter of slavery”, and underlines, among other things, the importance of a juridical solution. The Church is aware of the connection between human trafficking and migration and therefore encourages “ratification of international laws which guarantee the rights of migrants, refugees and their families”.
The Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant Peoples said “the Church is active in various countries offering assistance to victims of human trafficking, being present among them, listening, assisting, help to escape from sexual violence, creating safe lodgings , helping them to integrate into the society of the host country or to return to their homeland in a sustainable manner. In countries with an explosion of violent conflict, the Church rescue child soldiers organising activities for their social-economic reinsertion in society, and also to heal the trauma affecting these former combatants and their families and/or receiving communities. The Church also promotes activities of prevention and awareness building”.
“However it should not be forgotten,– the Archbishop observed -, that the principal cause of this horrendous phenomenon of new forms of slavery is the enormous gap between rich and poor countries and between rich and poor people in the same country. This is what pushes people to abandon their own country, in one way or another, and to seek better opportunities abroad”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 24/6/2009 – Righe 63; Parole 887)