Pope says immigration policy should balance individual rights, national sovereignty

Thanks to Phil Lawler at Catholic World News for this summary:

A proper approach to immigration should balance "the rights and duties of foreigners and those of the host communities," Pope Benedict XVI said at a private audience with members of the Pontifical Council for Migrants.

Immigrants should be treated with respect, mindful of their human dignity and the rights conferred by natural law, the Pope said. "Obviously the acquisition of rights goes hand in hand with the acceptance of duties," he added, and immigrants bear some responsibilities toward their host countries.

The Pope suggested that Church groups, charitable agencies, and other non-profit groups could help governments in "reconciling recognition for the rights of the individual with the principle of national sovereignty, making specific reference to the needs of security, public order, and the control of frontiers."

Offering a few specific suggestions on immigration policy, the Pope said that laws should favor "the legitimate right to family reunion, asylum and refuge, compensating any necessary restrictive measures, and contrasting the deplorable traffic in human beings."

Read the Vatican Information Service release here...