Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Conferenza Episcopale PNGSI
Port Moresby (Agenzia Fides) – Aid and support for refugees in Papua New Guinea will be provided through various projects supported by the Episcopal Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and funded by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC).
The ICMC was founded with the support of Pope Pius XII, the then Deputy Vatican Secretary of State Giovanni Battista Montini (later Pope Paul VI), and the layman James J. Norris, to support Catholic organizations in assisting displaced persons and refugees.
Thanks to the collaboration with local authorities in various regions of the island, several facilities have been established. These facilities were recently visited by ICMC representatives to assess their effectiveness and, thanks to various discussions with Papuan institutions, to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in order to provide appropriate support and assistance to refugees and vulnerable communities in the country. Future projects aimed at promoting the integration of refugees into local society were also discussed.
The main beneficiaries of these projects are refugees from West Papua who have come to Port Moresby and live in temporary shelters or overcrowded camps. They are predominantly single men without families, aged between 50 and 60. They survive mainly by selling firewood and empty cans, newspapers, and the help of a few benefactors. However, there are also women, elderly people, and young people looking for work.
According to the United Nations, approximately 10,000 refugees from West Papua live in the camps around Port Moresby, such as Hohola and Waigani, but also throughout Papua New Guinea. Many of these refugees have been registered and have also obtained Papuan citizenship through a naturalization process initiated by the local government. The country recently committed to implementing measures to improve the protection of refugees, including legislative reform to recognize refugee status for future arrivals and the naturalization of refugees already present.
However, many of these refugees continue to live in precarious conditions. For this reason, various Catholic organizations, such as Caritas Papua New Guinea, are continuously working to improve the integration of refugees and also provide them with legal and medical assistance. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 21/8/2025)
