ICMC: Continuing to protect human dignity 75 years later

By Kielce Gussie

For 75 years, the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) has been dedicated to a mission of protecting, supporting, and caring for refugees and migrants around the world. It was born in the aftermath of the world wars, where millions of people had been displaced.

On August 1, 1952, Pope Pius XII announced the creation of the ICMC with these words:

“We approve the International Catholic Migration Commission, whose function is to unite and organize existing Catholic associations and committees, and to promote, reinforce, and coordinate their projects and activities on behalf of migrants and refugees.”

“We approve the International Catholic Migration Commission, whose function is to unite and organize existing Catholic associations and committees, and to promote, reinforce, and coordinate their projects and activities on behalf of migrants and refugees.”

This year, marking its 75th anniversary, the ICMC Council is headed to Rome—with representatives from national Bishops' Conferences and local Churches from around the globe—from November 10-12.

In a press release for the anniversary, ICMC’s Secretary General, Davide Bernocchi, shared the organization’s joy at being able to mark this celebration and “to reflect together on the global situation related to human mobility.”

The event in Rome is an occasion to celebrate the blessings the ICMC has received through their “collective service and achievements as a global Church in this realm.”

A “trusted presence”

At the end of 2025, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, reported that 117.8 million people around the world had been forcibly displaced due to persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations.

The Catholic Church plays an important role in the response and support offered to those who have been uprooted and works to ensure people’s rights and dignity.

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ICMC’s Secretary General argued that the Church is a “trusted presence” in areas at all moments of crises: before, during, and after. “We know that during these times of uncertainty and great need, more and more people are turning to faith communities for crucial assistance and accompaniment,” he said.

Fr. Khalid Marogi of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference underlined that migration is more than a social and economic issue. Rather, “it is a human and moral one.”

Timely aid throughout the decades

The history of ICMC covers the major refugee crises in the post-war era and it tracks the evolution of migration into an international issue. Moreover, the organization offers insight into the Church’s efforts to protect the dignity of all people and ensure their safety.

This work is made possible through ICMC’s collaboration with Catholic and non-Catholic partners. “Throughout the decades, ICMC has responded to tens of emergencies, both directly and in partnership with local churches, and helped millions of refugees,” Bernocchi siad.

ICMC workers sent on the ground aid directly in reinforcing and expanding the United Nation’s field work worldwide, ensuring that timely and essential aid reaches communities where it is most needed.

Challenges change around the world

The global environment for migration and displacement continues to change as UNHCR reports that more than 1 in every 70 people on Earth has been forced to flee.

“According to UNHCR, more than 1 in every 70 people on Earth has been forced to flee.”

ICMC members stress the importance of working together as a global network in order to respond to the evolving regional and local migration contexts. Each area of the world demands a different approach and requires specific care and attention.

In Asia, where both migration and displacement are serious issues, Bishop Allwyn D’Silva of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences explained that people are fleeing due to wars, ethnic cleansing, and climate change.

Whereas, in the Americas, the situation involves foreign migrants being unable to enter into the United States. There is also internal displacement stemming from organized crime, deportations, lack of opportunities to live with dignity, and disappearances, according to Fr. Francisco Gallardo of the Episcopal Pastoral Commission for Human Mobility in Mexico.

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He argued the main challenge is “to establish a genuine pastoral ministry of accompaniment that safeguards the rights of migrants, both women and men.”

In the press release, Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, stressed that ICMC is “a network, coalition, and alliance of many local Churches that speaks to the importance of the Universal Catholic to mobility today in all forms. And I believe that ICMC responds to the new social challenges that are posed by migration flows today.”

Celebrate the 75 years

During their meeting from November 10-12, the ICMC members will elect a president and adopt a new strategy for the next four years. The organization’s Secretary General Davide Bernocchi explained that this is an essential part of renewing commitment to the mission. “We need to be prepared, and we need to collectively find a way to continue to serve our mission in this current moment.”

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On the last day of the meeting, Caritas Internationalis, Jesuit Refugee Service, and UNHCR will join ICMC to host ‘Celebrating 75 Years of the UN Refugee Convention: Faith perspectives and moral commitments’.

This will be a half-day event bringing together refugee leaders, interreligious and ecumenical leaders, and private sector representative to dive into how faith-based moral commitments to protect refugees and migrants can preserve the Convention as a “binding and effective global framework.”

It will be more than theoretical, Bernocchi stressed. “The Convention is rooted in values that have been shared and upheld by religious traditions for centuries: the right to seek protection when facing persecution, and the inviolable dignity of every human person. So, we will reflect on concrete ways in which faith communities and broader global civil society can - and must - work together to keep alive the promise made in 1951.”