The third International Conference on Migration and Refuge (ICoMiR), organized by the Scalabrinian Center for Migration Studies (CSEM), with the Scalabrinian Foundation, two organizations of the Congregation of the Scalabrinian Missionary Sisters, took place in Brasilia, from May 19 to 22, 2025, being the continuation of the first editions held in JohannesburgSouth Africa, in 2018, and in Tijuana, Mexico, in 2023. More than 200 people took part in person, while around 800 connected online, representing 30 countries. Members of universities and research institutions, organized civil society, international organizations and, above all, refugees and migrants shared analyses, reflections and experiences on the topic: "Understanding, humanizing and valuing people on the move“.
The current international conjuncture brings enormous challenges, characterized by setbacks in the protection of the rights of individuals and peoples, by the multiplication of war conflicts, by situations with "characteristics of genocide", the depredation of the environment and, more generally, the growing "xeno/aporophobia". In this challenging context, Many people resort to geographical mobility as a strategy to face adversity and achieve a more dignified life through work. Many of these people are being raped, criminalized and deported, as in the case of the Trump administration's current migration policies.
Contrary to prevailing public opinion, we, the participants of the III ICoMiR, call for people on the move not to be seen as a burden or a threat. Nor should they be treated as mere victims in a welfarist way, or exploited for electoral purposes. Instead, migrants and refugees are subjects of rights, regardless of their migratory status, and represent a potential source of enrichment, from a social, cultural, economic, political and religious point of view, both for the societies of origin and for those of transit, arrival and returnprovided they are offered the right conditions and opportunities.
With a view to changing narratives about people on the move, we at the III ICoMiR seek to understand, humanize and value contemporary migration processes. We consider it necessary to understandIn this way, we can understand, in an interdisciplinary, multifaceted and ethical way, the characteristics and challenges of contemporary human mobility, beyond the hegemonic bureaucratic-administrative categories, which are often marked by neocolonial and criminalizing biases. The focus of the reflection was not restricted to structural factors, but concentrated mainly on migrant subjects, dialoguing with them, listening to their cries and highlighting the transformative dynamics that strengthen their agency, on an individual and collective level. We therefore call on public policy promoters to adopt approaches that respect dignity and human rights when understanding migratory processes and to value the contributions and protagonism of their subjects.
In this sense, we want to highlight the concept of "protagonism", i.e. interpreting people on the move not as numbers, but as historical subjectsThis is a concrete expression of our commitment to human dignity, a dignity that belongs to each individual, for no other reason than that they are the builders of their own lives and their own struggles. This is a concrete expression of our commitment to human dignity, a dignity that belongs to every individual, for no other reason than that they have it. human being. It's worth remembering that our shared humanity should allow us to recognize ourselves as migrants. In some way, we are all migrants. From this perspective, we affirm that humanize human mobility processes must be an absolute priority for contemporary societies, firmly rejecting any kind of discrimination related to nationality, migratory status, ethnicity, religion or gender identity.
We emphasize the importance of value people on the move. The inclusion of migrants and refugees as subjects of rights in their countries of transit, arrival and return contributes to building societies that are more open to intercultural complementarity, building two-way bridges where there is reciprocal learning. Migration should be considered a source of wealth. Migrants and their families contribute with their experiences, struggles and economic contributions to the formation of more developed, supportive and inclusive societies.. In this sense, it is necessary to see migrants as a whole, so that governments can guarantee spaces for dialogue within communities, autonomy, access to justice and recognition of their cultural and religious expressions.
The concept of "radical hospitality" incorporates our life stories, our resistance and our partial and plural identities. The exercise of interacting with migrants involves strategies of care (especially with migrant children), demonstrations of affection and a willingness to let oneself be affected by their struggles. It's about sharing protection, recognizing the potential of others on their journey and building spaces of joy and fraternity (sorority) within the community.
We are living in a time of dehumanization, with derogatory, xenophobic, racist and totalitarian discourses that degrade and make invisible people in situations of migration around the world. We, the participants of the III ICoMiR, affirm with conviction that the reality of migration represents benefit, life and growth - both for those who migrate and for those who welcome them. We therefore reject the narratives spread by some governments and sectors of the international media that seek to criminalize and dehumanize the mobile population.
Migrants are not violent, they don't come to take away jobs, they aren't murderers, and they don't represent a burden. On the contrary, they make a very positive contribution to the lives of the countries that receive them. Migration is an opportunity for hope and a fair fight - both for those who migrate and for those who welcome them.
So we ask: implementing migration regularization policies, facilitating the recognition of diplomas, enabling access to decent work, strengthening migrant associations, multiplying intercultural mediators, guaranteeing access to mental and reproductive health, eliminating all discriminatory practices, especially in the media, combating organized crime and eradicating trafficking in and dealing with peopleamong others.
It is essential understand better, humanize our gazes and value people on the move.
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