Caritas works to protect the rights of migrants such as this woman from Portugal doing seasonal work in France.

Credits: Elodie Perriot/Secours Catholique

Many people in poor countries are forced fromtheir homes by conflict, poverty or climate change.

Caritas wants migration to be a choice, not an obligation. If people decide to migrate, Caritas members around the world offer them support at all stages: pre-departure, during their journey and stay in a foreign country, and on their return home.

The number of women migrating is increasing. Many women migrate alone. Migration is fraught with risks for them. They may fall victim to traffickers. They may end up in work in which they are abused and their rights are not respected.

Caritas helps migrants through:
  • Advocacy at an international, national and community level
  • Awareness raising about the risks
  • Legal support in protecting their rights
  • Counselling
  • Assistance for a sustainable return

Advocacy

In April and October at the UN in Geneva, Caritas highlighted that women who migrate and work in people’s homes can be exploited and abused...

A lifeline for Iraqi refugees in Turkey

Caritas Turkey supports Iraqi refugees through theWomen’s Solidarity Group in Istanbul. The group is a lifeline for Iraqi women, for whom the challenges of being alone in a new country are enormous...

Pakistan’s child camel jockeys get a fresh start

Falak Sher took his young son and his nephew from their rural village in Pakistan’s Punjab region to race as camel jockeys in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1998. He was in search of a fortune, but found a nightmare...

A way home for a Ukrainian mother

Olga had left her three children in the Ukraine to find work in Belgium.When she realised there could be opportunities to return to the Ukraine and set up a business in her home town, she turned to Caritas...