During the Human Rights Council in June 2024, Franciscans International invited Ms. Ana Victoria López from the Franciscan Network for Migrants (FNM) in Honduras.
The network started in 2018 through the observation that there were already many Franciscan congregations and communities independently working with migrants in Latin America. During a course in Guadalajara, given by the Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation from Rome, friars and lay people working with migrants discussed the possibility of creating a Franciscan “cordon”, as it was called at the beginning.
Since then, not only have its members provided essential assistance on the ground, but they have also been defending migrants’ rights by taking part in regional processes such as Cartagena +40 negotiations and by engaging in international advocacy at the United Nations through FI. The network has been involved in a large range of issues, from the ever more hostile migration policies across the Americas to the increasingly negative consequences of climate change.
Ms. Lopez, who is the Communications Officer for the network and part of its Advocacy Committee, told us about some of their main priorities and challenges.
What are some of the current migratory trends that you observe in the region?
There is a very clear before and after with the increase of migrant caravans that started in 2017. Before, it was common to see men migrants travelling alone, but now, there are more and more migrants in transit making their journey to the United States in families or large groups. This is partially due to information shared on social media groups, where migrants who have managed to reach the United States tell those who consider embarking on the journey that it is safer to travel in large groups. Additionally, we have started to see more and more minors accompanied by a family relative. Sometimes, it is noticeable that they might not be direct family, because of their different accents.
Even though larger groups offer more protection, women are still very much at risk of sexual violence. Some women are also being convinced to become pregnant on their journey to supposedly increase their chances of obtaining a visa or asylum status once they reach the United States. We help them as much as we can, providing care and psychological support to those having experienced sexual violence and trauma. The network also assists migrants in transit by providing food, diapers or sanitary napkins. Often, they don’t have the money for these products, so it is important to be very attentive.
While the economic consequences of climate-induced migration are increasingly featured in international debates, non-economic loss and damage is still often overlooked. Do you see this with the migrants you work with?
I think it is a pending issue because there are specific physical damages, but also very specific emotional damages that do not have a quantitative value. However, it is much more practical for some governments to say: “We are going to pay them this much if they return to their own country,” or “we are going to give them the right to health care or free insurance”, or “we are going to give them a place to live.” But the reparation of non-economic damage is rarely mentioned. When it is, there is no follow-up. I think it is also important to understand the consequences of a crisis on someone not only as individual trauma, but also as something transversal for families and society. Still, it is not taken enough into account that most people fleeing their country have gone through physical violence, emotional violence, humiliation, and intimidation. This impacts their health, relationships, and jobs. There needs to be a better understanding of what happens after they have gone through this traumatic event.
With the upcoming elections in the United States, migration policies are at the center of the debate. What consequences do you see on the ground?
U.S. policies have important repercussions for Central American countries, but it is more about how those laws are implemented. At the borders, it’s the border police that governs. There is a distorted discourse between what the U.S. government says and what U.S. immigration does. We know that in the end, it is a very different reality on the ground.
For example, when migrant caravans arrived in the U.S., it was said that countries in Central America would give employment to those who went back. When we followed up on that, we realized that the hourly employment they were given was one or two hours to sweep the streets. It did not even earn them the minimum wage. This was not what had been politically announced. Even when it was achieved, it was only for a small number of people.
It is part of our role to bridge this gap by giving accurate information to migrants so that they know what to expect and do not believe everything they hear. In the end, I think it is more a matter of making visible the extent to which these immigration laws are actually exercised.
What is it like to try changing international policies?
I believe that any program that comes out of a political agenda should be in consultation with the civil society platforms that are directly attending to migrants and persons in mobility. We are not government officials, we are not from political parties, but we see the reality of what is happening on the ground. We are the shelters, the soup kitchens, the people at the frontlines. But most of the time, we are not consulted.
If the consultations were more inclusive, maybe they would have more impact because we could give important information. We are always concerned that the diplomats will make revisions that are only good on paper and that we do not see results on the ground. Even though the intentions behind these negotiations are good, as long as it is not understood that civil society should be able to contribute much more, changes will stay superficial.
Why is it still important for the Franciscan Network for Migrants to take part in these international processes?
In the network’s Advocacy Committee, each country team must have some knowledge of what the United Nations is and how to work with its mechanisms. This is especially important for the on-time delivery of inputs, because a lot is happening on the ground that needs to be documented. We are also learning as a network: while the strength of the FNM is that we are from different countries, maybe some answers or solutions will work for Panama, but they will not work for us in Honduras. Coming to the United Nations in Geneva allows us to provide inputs of what we experience and of the needs at the grassroots. Being here is very important for us to strengthen the convergence among the teams.
Learn more about:
The FNM’s work: https://franciscansinternational.org/blog/international-migrants-day-preserving-the-dignity-of-people-on-the-move/
Non-economic loss and damage: https://franciscansinternational.org/blog/the-unseen-costs-of-climate-change/