AMERICA/BRAZIL - "Immediate answers concerning the issue of immigrants are urgently needed"

Criciuma (Agenzia Fides) - "The issue of immigrants needs immediate responses, which go beyond hospitality. In the daily work of the parishes, we need more support for immigrants", said Fr. Onécimo Alberton, president of Caritas Criciuma (Brazil), in the meeting convened by the diocese to identify common actions for the emergency of immigrants.
A note sent to Fides by the Pontifical Mission Societies of Brazil mentions the meeting that involved organisms present in the diocese to discuss the matter. The Secretary General of the diocesan Caritas, Neuza Mafra, presented the case of the Haitian people: "The arrival of Haitians is due to the 2010 earthquake. Haiti has strong ties with Brazil, which has participated in the UN mission in the country since 2004. The Brazilian Government, at an international level, has defended the immigration policies based on human rights, unlike developed countries that have taken different positions", he said.
The assembly noted that the phenomenon of migration goes beyond the work of the Church. Many parishes are already promoting donations of food and clothing, Portuguese lessons. But other challenges must be addressed, such as legal issues and violation of labor laws. According to data provided by the Commission for Human Mobility, currently over two million immigrants are residing in Brazil. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 04/07/2014)