AN APOCALYPTIC PICTURE OF MIGRATION
LIDIA DUDKIEWICZ, THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF 'NIEDZIELA'
Wandering of peoples, and, in fact, an escape of whole families and individuals from death is a hot issue in all world mass media now. The wave of despaired immigrants is flowing onto borders of countries on the Old Continent. Other countries are desperate to start building walls, strengthening their borders, using armies and police, in order to stop refugees. Europe, which has recently been opening borders, is closing them now. Most immigrants come from Africa and the Near East, mainly from Iraq and Syria. According to a report of the United Nations Organization, a number of refugees, who got to Europe across the Mediterranean Sea this year, went up to 300 thousand. For many refugees, the journey ended tragically. According to the latest data, over 2.7 thousand people were killed, trying to get to Europe via a marine way. Lampedusa, an Italian island, being the first purpose for immigrants to achieve escaping across the Mediterranean Sea, is perceived as an island of happiness, but often becomes an island of death, a big graveyard for them.
Refugees are nearer and nearer to us, and European politicians and clerks are helplessly debating. We have recently been witnesses of even a grotesque clash of facts. Exactly when there was a summit meeting of supreme clerks of the European Union in Vienna, in connection with a bigger wave of migrants, and in relation to the issue of the Balcans, in a distance of nearly 50 km from this place, on an Austrian motorway a truck with human bodies was found. Victims of death, among whom there were also children, is a tragical effect of an organized people smuggling and trade. These are the results of a murderous form of the most common crimes. A shocking picture from the European motorway again points to an urgent necessity of reacting in solidarity to a crisis connected with the exodus of population. Europe does not cope with the influx of immigrants, and international institutions do not find an effective method to protect people endangered by death because of religious persecutions or political conflicts. So, they must escape from death and wander around the world.
The phenomenon of migration has become apocalyptic in the recent time. Facing up other tragedies of people being on a way, what is necessary, is a definite response not only from Europe, but also the whole world. A loud appeal in this issue was addressed by pope Francis on Sunday 30 August 2015, during his prayer with believers gathered on the Square of St. Peter in Rome for 'refugees who are killed during their terrible journeys'. He suggested that we must look at immigrants in a full way, remembering about the spiritual dimension of every person. It is proved by copies of the Bible and Koran found on boats of refugees, or by victims of marine journeys. During the opening of an exhibition in Sicilla, presenting these meaningful exhibits, the local metropolitan cardinal Francesco Montengero noted that 'a man feels an absolute need of God by nature'. Cardinal Montenegro emphasized that emigration is a sign of injustices existing in the world. - Only when do we overcome them, we will be able to stop migrations – he said. And he knows what he says because he manages the Commission of the Italian Episcopate for Migrants and Migrantes Foundation. It is just the area of his metropolis, comprising, among the others, Lampedusa, where most refugees arrive.
AA
„Niedziela” 36/2015