The World day of Migrants and Refugees 2007 (Refugee and Migrant Sunday) was celebrated internationally by the Catholic Church on Sunday, January 14th, 2007.

However for practical reasons the celebration will be held in Australia on the last Sunday of August (August 26th 2007) except for those Dioceses who choose a different date for local reasons.

Please note the following two important messages for this year from Pope Benedict XVI:

• In his message for Refugee and Migrant Sunday 2007, the Holy Father emphasized the needs and difficulties of migrant families and the duties of host nations to them. He says: “If the immigrant family is not ensured of a real possibility of inclusion and participation, it is difficult to expect its harmonious development”.
• On World Refugee Day (20th June), the Holy Father spoke about the importance of welcoming and assisting refugees. He stressed the importance of international attention “towards those who are forced to flee their countries because of real danger to their lives…for Christians this is a concrete way to demonstrate Gospel love”. He also called on governments to ensure the right to political asylum, to protect refugees and to guarantee their human rights.

Please find links below to documents relevant to this day: