EUROPE/SPAIN – Day of Migrants - Bishops appeal to the government: listen to immigrants before expelling them

Albacete (Agenzia Fides) - The Spanish Bishops have asked the government to listen to the voice of immigrants before expelling them, in order to ascertain whether or not they are people in need of asylum or victims of violence or trafficking of mafias, in order to enforce the laws and respect international law in this matter.
The Bishop of the Diocese of Albacete, Mgr. Ciriaco Benavente who is President of the Episcopal Commission for Migration reports that the news was announced by the Archbishop during the presentation of the campaign "A Church without frontiers, mother to all", in preparation for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2015, which in Spain will be celebrated on 18 January. "What we are asking is not too much" said Mgr. Benavente, reiterating the necessity to listen to immigrants, "because this is how one can find out if they really have the right to asylum".
Spain is today, along with Lampedusa (Italy) and Arizona (USA), one of the three hot spots of immigration. In Spain there are about five million foreigners registered. "We are children of immigrants, and the Spanish society has forgotten this" highlighted the Archbishop. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 09/01/2015)