(ANS - Nuevo Laredo) - The city of Nuevo Laredo hosted the regional meeting on unaccompanied migrants - children, adolescents and young people. The meeting was organized by Fr Timothy Ploch, Salesian Councillor for the  InterAmerican region, and the Provincials of the region. The meeting from 9 -11 December was attended by Salesians and lay people from the Provinces of Western United States, Central America, Ecuador, Mexico-Mexico and Mexico-Guadalajara.

by Jesús García, SDB

Participants were selected based on their expertise and experience in the field. Among them were the Provincials of Mexico-Guadalajara and Central America, Fr Hugo Orozco and Fr Alejandro Hernández.

The team has been set up to formulate a concrete, prophetic, Salesian proposal in response to the humanitarian emergency represented by many unaccompanied migrants - children, adolescents and young adults -  who cross the border between Mexico and the United States. They are  looking for better opportunities in life or running away from violence and  exploitation by  criminal groups.

In Mexico, the Salesians have been working for more than 25 years along the border area with the United States, mainly dealing with people who have gone through the experience of migration. Most of them come from other parts of the country, fail to reach the United States or are refused entry, and then then settle in the border towns. Currently the Salesian presence in this vast border area is widespread - in Tijuana, Mexicali, Nogales, Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Acuña, Piedras Negras, Nuevo Laredo and Laredo (Texas). This last named belongs to the Western United States Province.

The analysis of the situation that was shared at this meeting will be the foundation of the work that the various provinces and the InterAmerican Region will do to develop concrete proposals, initiatives and projects to meet the humanitarian emergency.  These will start from the basic Salesian approach to education and evangelization.

On the Wednesday morning, there was a press conference for the local media to gather information on the views shared in the meeting.  The conference was attended by Bishop Gustavo Rodríguez of Nuevo Laredo. He expressed his satisfaction with the meeting and spoke of his own concerns on this issue and the response of the Church.

The Salesians came to Nuevo Laredo nine years ago. At preent  there are four professed members and two aspirants. They serve the parish of Mary Help of Christians and the Don Bosco oratory

Published 12/12/2014