Msgr. Vitillo Presents on the Right to Education for Migrant and Refugee Children

This week, ICMC’s Secretary General, Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo, presented on the right to education for refugee and migrant children at the Annual Congress of the International Child Bureau. Held in Paris, the conference aimed to tackle the different problems ranging from the respect of innate human dignity to the role of non-governmental organizations in the proper integration of educational rights. The message was delivered in sound accordance with the challenging wisdom of Pope Francis: “Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity.”

The panel discussion on ‘International Advocacy for the Right to Education and Human Rights Education’ took place during the first workshop, proclaiming that education must be at the center of our actions to prepare children to be responsible citizens and the masters of their own futures. Refugee children are five times more likely to be out of school than non-refugee children. Only about 50 percent of refugee children attend school, and as refugee children get older, the gap becomes even wider. Msrg. Robert J. Vitillo’s speech encapsulated the extent of the problem, and reaffirmed the duty and responsibility owed to a child’s right to education.

• Read Msgr. Vitillo’s speech.