Caritas Sri Lanka - SEDEC

This was stated by Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera, Bishop of Kurunegala and Chairman, Catholic National Commission for Justice, Peace & Human Development. at the premiere for a docu-drama on Migrants and the launch of two books on migration and trafficking presented by the Catholic National Commission for Migrants and Caritas Sri Lanka and held at the Caritas Sri Lanka Auditorium on 3rd May 2010.

He further stated “the social teaching of the Church shows the intense longing of the Church to share the plight of the migrants and to be with them in their search for a dignified human life as worthy children of God. The mission of the Church towards migrants is a call to be in solidarity with them.”

The Chief Guest at this event was the Papal Nuncio for Sri Lanka, His Excellency Rt., Rev. Dr. Joseph Spiteri.

Rev. Fr. George Sigamoney, who is also the Director of the Catholic National Commission for Migrants also stated that their lobbying and advocacy on behalf of the migrants has borne fruit internationally with the Human Rights Watch in New York and Caritas Internationalis taking action on behalf of migrants. The Human Rights Watch on the 28th April made a statement on the pathetic conditions of migrants made strong suggestions to governments to take action to solve these problems. Caritas Internationalis has also linked up with the UN agencies and has commenced a Migrant Domestic Worker Campaign.

“This international campaign,” he stated, “aims to create solidarity and respect for migrant domestic workers due to the hidden nature of their work, the lack of recognition and lack of provisions for their protection. The Catholic National Commission for Migrants and Caritas Sri Lanka are proud of their achievements that their initiatives on behalf of migrants have had so much success. They consider these achievements to be guideposts in a long and arduous journey towards improving conditions for migrants both at home and abroad.