Malaysian Church provides pastoral care for migrants who “are brothers, not enemies"
Dominic Lim, director of the Human Development Commission of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu, talks about the work parishes do for migrants. Malaysia has not signed the UN Refugee Convention and has no obligation to grant asylum, work and education to these people. The first enemies to defeat are "prejudices and unjustified fears" by local faithful.
Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies) – In Sabah, Catholics “need to be made aware of the position of the Church towards migrants and how its social teachings can be applied despite all the negative prejudices that are prevalent in our society towards foreigners,” said a diocesan official in an interview with Catholic Sabah, a diocesan publication.
Dominic Lim, director of the Human Development Commission of the Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu (capital of Sabah state), talked about the work of the local Church for migrants.
A migrant who reaches Malaysian territory needs socio-economic and cultural assistance, Lim said. This can be done only if the host population is educated not to see him or her as an enemy.
"Public opinion needs to be correctly informed, not least to prevent unwarranted fears and speculations detrimental to migrants,” he noted.
The action of the Church is inspired by what Pope Francis said for World Day of Migrants, namely that “Migrants are our brothers and sisters in search of a better life, far away from poverty, hunger, exploitation and the unjust distribution of the planet’s resources”.
Malaysia has not signed the UN Convention on Refugees (1951) and is not required to grant asylum, work and education to migrants.
Still, more than 150,000 asylum seekers are in the country. Almost 140,000 of them are refugees from Myanmar (including minority Rohingya Muslims); others come from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Iraq and Palestine.
In recent years, with the flow of migrants rising, Christian communities have tried to respond to the emergency. Starting in 2011, said Lim, the Human Development Commissions of the three dioceses joined forces to create the "Amos" programme.
Taking its name from the biblical prophet, the initiative is designed to help participants understand their mission in favour of the marginalised and the poor, especially migrants.
The main work entails handing out basic necessities, promoting integration in society and the workplace, and providing education to migrant children.
The Malaysian Church has also involved in this project Indonesian Catholics, who sent various pastoral workers.
The last general meeting was held last year in Sandakan, Lim said. Bishops, priests, and religious attended the event, pooling their experience in helping migrants.
The joint work between the different dioceses and between religious and laity gave rise to numerous successful activities in the country.
"The work of religious congregations has helped many parishioners to see the work with migrants as an integral part of the mission of their church.," Lim explained.
Some parishes "have created specific committees (for the pastoral care of Filipinos, or Indonesians) where the faithful are helped to overcome their fears and concerns."
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