The Pope has called for the respect of refugees’ rights while assuring them the prayers of the Church.
Pope Benedict said on Sunday he hoped that the rights of refugees may always be respected and that they may soon be able to be reunited with their loved ones.The Pope added that today’s celebration of World Refugee Day seeks to draw the attention of the international community to the situation of so many people forced to flee their own lands under threat of armed conflict and serious forms of violence.
The UN celebrates today’s event under the theme “Refugees have no choice. You do.”
UNHCR, the UN agency for refugees, says a record 800 thousand people were forced to flee across borders last year, more than at any time since 2000.
It added that every minute eight people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror.