World Day of Migrants celebrated to ‘ease loneliness’

The 102nd World Day of Migrants and Refugees was celebrated yesterday at the Saint Joseph School Auditorium in Macau. Celebrations included a “fellowship lunch” with food treats from the different communities represented, along with several musical and ethnographic performances. The program of the event, which was organized by the Diocese of Macau, also included a lucky draw.
The participants were mainly women, with origins in Myanmar, East Timor, Indonesia and the Philippines. Events of this kind are a way for these women to “get together” with others, sharing the same difficulties and hopes. Mirna, a migrant worker from Myanmar was enthusiastic: “It is nice! I like this kind of party where we can relax and meet some other people that are also working here. It is a way to forget the hard work and have fun,” she told the Times.
Anna, a domestic worker from the Philippines who has been in Macau for over six years, shares the same opinion in short words: “It is good. I like it. I feel happy to be here and share this joy.”
The Secretary-General of Caritas Macau, Paul Pun, attended the event and took the opportunity to advise the migrants to “be informed and updated with the local news through the newspapers, TV or by using their smartphones.” In his opinion, being informed about Macau is a way of avoiding falling victim to scams and other dangers
Pun also urged the migrants to “denounce” cases of exploitation and other instances where they feel they are being unfairly treated and to “help each other,” especially their fellow citizens that need help or are ill.
This year’s theme “Migrants and Refugees Challenge Us. The Response of the Gospel of Mercy” came by direct initiative of Pope Francis in the awakening of the migration movements, namely in Europe. According to the Pope’s message for the day, it is crucial “to deal with the present emergency phase by providing programs which address the causes of migration and the changes it entails.”
The Pope used the World Day of Migrants and Refugees as a pretext to address the tragic stories of the millions of men and women who are impacted by unacceptable humanitarian crises occurring in different parts of the world. These situations include those in which the “indifference” and “silence” of people lead to a form of complicity. Francis urged citizens to be aware of these cases locally and to solve them as much as possible locally too.