Pope Benedict XVI says because of economic instability, the lack of essential goods, natural disasters, wars and social unrest, “migration becomes an ordeal undertaken for the sake of survival, where men and women appear more as victims than as agents responsible for the decision to migrate.” The Pope was writing in his Message for the 99th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which will be marked on January 13, 2013, which has the theme “Migrations: pilgrimage of faith and hope”.
The Pope writes “faith and hope are inseparable in the hearts of many migrants, who deeply desire a better life and not infrequently try to leave behind the ‘hopelessness’ of an unpromising future.”