By Rani Punnasseril

New Delhi, March 18, 2026: The Catholic Church does a commendable job for migrants but it should extend its service to refugees and asylum seekers in India, says an official of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Church’s Commission for Migrants and its dedicated workers support migrants and people on the move with compassion and commission. “Your work truly reflects dignity in action,” said Selin Mathew, a UNHCR official in India.

“Today, I would like to invite you to consider extending this support to vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers living within the same communities,” Mathew told a workshop in New Delhi, organized by the northern region of the migrant commission of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India.

Around 150 delegates from Delhi archdiocese and the dioceses of Jalandhar, Jammu and Kashmir and Simla Chandigarh attended the March 16-17 workshop that addressed the theme, “Journeying Together as People of India Walking with Migrants.”

The gathering brought together pastoral workers, religious, social activists, and experts to reflect on the spiritual, pastoral, social, and legal dimensions of migration, particularly focusing on the realities faced by migrants and refugees in northern India.

The workshop aimed at strengthening the Church’s pastoral response and collaborative action in addressing the challenges faced by migrants.

Mathew hailed the commission for building strong community networks through parishes, schools and social service institutions in the region and reaching out “with compassion and solidarity to those “often invisible and unheard.”

“Although refugees and migrants arrive through different pathways, their challenges often overlap limited access to services, financial hardship, and the struggle to integrate into new social and cultural environments,” the UNHCR official said.

She told the gathering that they could ensure that no vulnerable person is left out if they include refugees and asylum seekers in their existing programs.

The UNHCR official cited health, education and skill training as some key areas where the commission and her office could collaborate.

“Access to basic healthcare remains a challenge for many refugee families. Community clinics, medical camps, and referral systems can provide critical support to those who would otherwise struggle to access services,” Mathew said.

She pointed out that for refugee children education is not just about learning, but about stability, hope, and belonging. “Schools supported by the commission can play a transformative role by including refugee children and supporting their continued education.”

She also said refugees bring valuable skills, talents, and resilience. “Through vocational training and livelihood opportunities, they can become self-reliant and contribute positively to their host communities.”

“When given the opportunity, refugees do not remain passive recipients of assistance; they become active contributors to society,” Mathew added.

She said the UN Refugee Agency has witnessed remarkable resilience within refugee communities. “Women emerge as leaders, young people pursue education despite challenges, and families support one another while contributing to their surroundings. These outcomes become possible when communities walk alongside them,” she added.

Father Jaison Vadassery, the executive secretary of the CCBI Commission for Migrants, in his opening address highlighted the Church’s mission of accompanying migrants and the need for coordinated pastoral initiatives across dioceses.

The Diocesan Evangelisation Commission and the Burmese Catholic Community helped create a spiritual atmosphere through prayer, reflections, and hymns during the workshop. They reminded the participants that the Church’s response to migration is not only social and pastoral but deeply rooted in faith, compassion, and communion with God.

Father Stephen Alathara, CCBI deputy secretary general who addressed the gathering, stressed the Church’s growing responsibility to respond compassionately and effectively to migration, displacement and exploitation that are on the rise.

Auxiliary Bishop Deepak Valerian Tauro of Delhi, chairman of the commission’s northern region, in his homily on the first day’s Mass, said Jesus journeys with migrants. He urged the gathering to recognize Christ in the displaced and marginalized.