World Day of Migrants and Refugees: Vatican Official Calls for Prayers for South Africa’s Hostile Areas

Fr. Avelino Chicoma Bundo Chico has urged Catholics in South Africa to pray for migrants facing hostility in certain parts of the country. Speaking in a video message released September 23, the priest, who serves as an office head at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, noted that some areas may not be able to hold celebrations for the 2026 World Day of Migrants and Refugees scheduled for Sunday, September 27.

Fr. Chico, who is currently on a pastoral visit to South Africa, encouraged people to maintain an attitude of solidarity and to keep those suffering from the current situation in their prayers.

The call for prayer follows recent anti-migrant protests in the country. On September 10, approximately 300 members of the March and March movement gathered outside the Department of Home Affairs refugee reception offices in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Protesters targeted Congolese asylum seekers living in a temporary shelter outside the offices, amid local demands regarding crime, housing, service delivery, and undocumented migration.