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The forum built on the outcomes of the first forum held in Hamburg, Germany, in March 2023.
“We affirm that migration is an integral part of humanity, yet it remains an area fraught with injustices,” reads a communique released by the forum. “We remain steadfast in opposing the criminalization and weaponization of migration and resisting migration management policies that disregard human dignity and safety.”
The forum discouraged exploitative migration practices that hinder many from experiencing the love and goodness of God.
“We noted the growing frustration among a significant proportion of young Africans who are seeking every possible avenue to migrate in pursuit of employment and better living conditions,” reads the communique.
The communique includes a call to action for churches, faith-based organisations, civil society organizations, policymakers, and the private sector in Africa and Europe to multiply efforts addressing the social, economic, ecological and political root causes of irregular migration and trafficking in persons.
The forum also called on churches to invest in “the protection and expansion of legal channels for migration to disrupt smuggling networks,” and to enhance protection of migrants “from all forms of abuse, expand safe spaces for their growth and development, and promote sustainable integration and meaningful reintegration measures for migrants.”
The communique calls for transforming government's responsibility and accountability in migration governance to ensure that all “bilateral migration agreements are fair, transparent and possess reliable accountability measures,” and that all “migration policies prioritize the protection of people more than borders.”
The call to action emphasizes the protection of vulnerable populations such as children, urging churches to ensure children’s access to social services and enjoyment of their freedoms, which should be “guaranteed in every aspect of migration governance.”
The call to churches concludes with a request to keep abreast of and, where possible, “contribute to the work of the African Union on migration management and governance.”
The World Council of Churches was represented at the forum by Dr Masiiwa Gunda, WCC programme executive for programmatic responses on overcoming racism, who also serves as a member of the CCME executive committee.
The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC)
Learn more about the work of WCC on migration and multicultural ministry
