Waiting for Years and Feeling Stuck
Obtaining official refugee and asylum documents in South Africa is a constant challenge for migrants. Imagine a queue forming outside the refugee reception office before the sun rises, with some people having travelled to the office for long hours and with others who have stood in different versions of this queue for years. And many are usually turned away and asked to come back another day. This scene is the focus of a recent study by Pineteh E. Angu, published in the African Human...
From migrant stories to Films: How young migrants discovered the power of digital storytelling
For 2 weeks, a group of young migrants, refugees and asylum seekers gathered at the holy cross hall in District Six, Cape town. Not just to learn digital skills but to find their voice in a world that is increasingly being digitalised. In an era of rapid digital transformation, access to digital tools is no longer a luxury, it is a way of living. For migrants, refugees and asylum seekers digital literacy opens door...
Informing Migration and Mobility Dialogues and Actions for Enhanced Protection
Date: 25 May 2026, University of the Western Cape The SIHMA workshop brought together researchers, practitioners, and advocates to explore how engaged research can strengthen migration governance, protection systems, and social inclusion. Speakers emphasized participatory and decolonial research approaches that position migrants, refugees, and affected communities as co-creators of knowledge. Key presentations highlighted civic solidarity with forced migrants, participatory...
News from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development - June 2026
Magnifica humanitas. Two words that defend every person on this planet, celebrating their beauty, dignity and identity as created and loved by God. Two words that stand as a bulwark against standardisation, discrimination, exclusion and exploitation, rejecting every attempt to manipulate the human person, so as to reduce humanity to the service of economic or ideological interests. The Encyclical of Pope Leo XIV is striking for its realism...
Navigating Livelihood and Belonging: The Everyday Realities of African Migrant Women in Cape Town
“When I hear the word Home Affairs I run the other way.” – Patricia, a Zimbabwean migrant woman Patricia’s words capture both a personal fear and a systemic reality. They reflect not...
Scalabrini Day: Reflecting on Ministry, Impact, and Future Possibilities
Yesterday, as we celebrated Scalabrini Day, we were invited not only to honour the legacy of Saint John Baptist Scalabrini but the day provided an opportunity to revisit the foundational values of solidarity, hospitality, advocacy, and service to migrants, refugees, and vulnerable populations. A central theme that emerged throughout the celebration was the importance of understanding the lived reality of missionary work in the field. Across different contexts and regions, Scalabrinian missionaries,...
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