Protecting Life, Not Just Borders

In this reflection, JRS Europe Director Alberto Ares SJ examines recent events in Ceuta and Spain’s new immigration and asylum framework through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching and the Gospel. He calls for a shift from migration policies centred primarily on border control towards an approach that puts human dignity and the protection of rights at the centre, with particular attention to migrant and refugee children. The reflection highlights the need for safe and legal pathways, meaningful integration, action on the root causes of forced migration, and a culture of encounter and hospitality, arguing that Europe’s response to migration ultimately reflects the kind of society it chooses to build.

Read the full reflection in the PDF below.