the scalabrinians carry out a study on families

A study promoted by the Scalabrini Migration Center in Manila on parents and children separated by the migratory phenomenon has been launched in the Philippines and Indonesia. The objective is to offer food for thought to public authorities, to society and also to ecclesial organizations, based on a specific pastoral presence in relation to a phenomenon that currently affects millions of children and young people.

Manila () – The Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC), a Catholic institute based in the Philippines, has launched a research project to learn about the scenarios of migrants during the pandemic, particularly in Southeast Asian countries. The focus is on two countries: the Philippines, Asia’s largest Catholic country, and Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.

The purpose of the Health and Migrant Parents in Southeast (CHAMPSEA) study is to compare a series of data collected in 2023 on migrant families and children with similar research conducted in 2008, in order to contribute to the debate about a possible “assistance crisis”. in the region as more and more parents leave their children to work elsewhere.

Indonesia’s net migration rate in 2023 is -0.376 per 1,000 inhabitants, which is an increase of 0.27% over 2022. With nearly 5.4 million migrants spread across the globe, the Philippines is one of the main countries of origin of migratory flows. This figure includes around 2.3 million migrant workers, also known as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW).

The CHAMPSEA study project working group is headed by Dr. Lucy Jordan from the University of Hong Kong (UHK), while the national coordinators are Drs. Maruja Asis and Sukamdi, respectively from the Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC) and the Center for Population and Policy Studies, University of Gadjah Mada (CPPS-UGM) of Indonesia. From April 10 to 18, UHK and SMC conducted training programs for the teams that will collect the data in Bulacan and Laguna. The Bulacan team began conducting the interviews with the families on April 13, while the Laguna team will do so at the end of April or beginning of May.

The results of the study will help to formulate migration policies and will be available to the government, the academic world, NGOs and civil society organizations, and will also serve ecclesial organizations to formulate pastoral plans and programs for migrants and your families.

Founded in 1987, the Scalabrini Migration Center is a research organization whose objective is to understand the many facets of migration in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to study the phenomenon of migration on an international scale. To promote the rights and dignity of immigrants and create inclusive societies, the Center sensitizes public opinion on the phenomenon of migration and public policies, fostering solidarity with migrants and stakeholders.

Among its main initiatives are the academic quarterly publication of the Asian and Pacific Migration Journal and monographs on this field of study, the organization of conferences and the management of a specialized library on the subject of migration in Asia and the Pacific.

The Congregation of the Missionaries of San Carlo Borromeo, also known as Scalabrinian Missionaries, was founded in 1887, in Italy, by Bishop Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, Bishop of Piacenza. It is a Catholic religious congregation whose specific charism is pastoral assistance to migrants. The Manila Center is part of the network of the Scalabrini Migration Study Centers (SMSC) and the Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN), which respectively bring together the research institutes and reception centers for migrants organized throughout the world by the scalabrinians.

“Although there are no longer border closures or movement restrictions, migration has not returned to pre-pandemic levels,” explains Anna Triandafyllidou, a sociologist and migration expert at Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada. “There are many persistent and emerging trends, challenges and opportunities in the world that has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is good to know the spaces where migrations are taking place and the opportunities that can be created in this new context.”