On Friday 14 March, Cáritas Diocesana de Tui-Vigo organized a training at the “San José” Major Seminary in Vigo on “Breaking down mental barriers: Confronting the truths that nobody wants to hear about migration”. Speaking at the event, Alberto Ares SJ, Regional Director of JRS Europe and PhD in International Migration and Development cooperation, brought to the discussion both his academic knowledge and his hands-on experience across the continent.

The training was aimed at Caritas volunteers and workers, as well as those working with migrant populations, with the goal of addressing challenging aspects of migration and encouraging participants to confront uncomfortable truths about the subject. The event aligns with Cáritas’ mission of social action and public awareness, particularly focusing on issues affecting vulnerable populations.

The presentation of the conference was given by Fr. Javier Alonso, Episcopal Delegate of the diocese of Tui-Vigo; and Ms. Inmaculada Tombilla, General Coordinator of Caritas Tui-Vigo.

More than 80 professionals and volunteers from Caritas, as well as from other immigrant associations from different parts of the province, such as ASOVEDRA from Pontevedra, or from other institutions such as ECCA Social, Entreculturas or Stella Maris participated in the event. They were joined by different priests and parish priests of the diocese; and a representation of several religious communities, such as the Religious of Mary Immaculate or the Daughters of Jesus, among others.

The Bishop of Tui-Vigo, Mons. Antonio José Valín Valdés; the director of Caritas in the diocese of Tui-Vigo, Mr. Gonzalo Davila; the Diocesan Delegate for Migration, Fr. Alberto Montes; and the diocesan head of CONFER and parochial vicar of Cristo de la Victoria in Vigo, Fr. Edgardo Quintana, OP, the delegate prosecutor for foreigners from the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Pontevedra, Ms. Susana García-Baquero; and several lawyers for foreigners attending from different local institutions were also present in the event.

After the presentation by Alberto Ares, there was a wide-ranging round of questions and debate among the participants. Some of the questions came from direct work with migrants and refugees in their day-to-day work, and others focused on new policies at the European level and at the national level in Spain.

In the words of Alberto Ares: “We need to live in love and live rooted. In love with our passionate mission of service and also strongly rooted in our values that are nourished by the Gospel, and that help us to live united in hope. Only from the spirit of community, walking together we can be witnesses of hope”.

One of the elements that was repeated in some interventions is the need to strengthen the community, and networking in order to provide a comprehensive response to the needs of migrants and refugees.

JRS Europe is an international Jesuit organisation whose mission is to accompany, serve and defend the rights of refugees and other displaced people. In Europe, JRS works in 23 countries to ensure that human rights, protection, hospitality, integration and reconciliation have a place within a broader vision of inclusive and welcoming societies. A task that is not only one of the great social challenges of our time, but also an apostolic preference for the Society of Jesus.