Fabio Baggio, Director of the Scalabrini International Migration Institute (Rome), provided a comprehensive overview of six ethical principles related to human mobility. Fabio mentioned that the first three principles are often seen in international politics and development discourse while the second three have their roots in religious doctrines and practices. The six principles that were focused on were: human rights, human dignity, common good, universal destination of goods, stewardship, and global citizenship.

1. MIGRATION ETHICS
A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE
Fabio Baggio
Scalabrini International Migration Institute

2. Introduction
ò Human mobility: a very complex phenomenon
ò Some questions concerning the “global
governance” of human mobility
ò Predominance of the economicistic perspectives
ò Confusion between goals and means
ò Need for ethicization of policies and practices
ò Some ethics principles from Catholic social
teachings, applicable to human mobility

3. Respect for Human Rights
ò Universal ethic platform: UN conventions
ò Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
ò International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
and the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights (1966)
ò Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951)
ò Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
ò International Convention on the Protection of the
Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their
Families (1990)

4. Respect for Human Rights
ò The Catholic social doctrine (CSDC)
ò CSDC 152. […] The Church's Magisterium has not
failed to note the positive value of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights […] a true milestone on
the path of humanity's moral progress.
ò CSDC 153. […] The ultimate source of human rights is
not found in the mere will of human beings, in the
reality of the State, in public powers, but in man
himself and in God his Creator.
ò 154. Human rights are to be defended not only
individually but also as a whole: protecting them only
partially would imply a kind of failure to recognize
them.

5. Respect for Human Rights
ò Inalienability and inviolability of the rights due
to the principle of no discrimination
ò Principle of respect for fundamental human rights
= good criterion for ethical judgment
ò But … there are some limitations:
ò Western connotation of the definition of rights
ò They refer only to freedom and equality, while fraternity is
missing (global and solidarity dimension)
ò Only protection from violation, but not promotion
ò Application to human mobility

6. Rights of migrant children in Argentina

7. Promotion of human dignity
ò Born in the ancient Roman world, the concept
evolved in two directions
ò Special position of human being in the cosmos: universal and
absolute meaning
ò Special position of human being in the society: particular and
relative meaning
ò Principle of promotion of human dignity
ò Christian understanding: human being as image of God (CSDC
108-114)
ò Secular understanding: human being free and capable of choice
(Pufendorf)
ò Human being = unique, different and unrepeatable person

8. Promotion of human dignity
ò Ethical principle of the promotion of human
dignity
ò Human being never a mean to achieve a goal other than his/
her fulfillment
ò Every action that reaffirms or increases the uniqueness,
difference and unrepeatability of human beings is ethical,
every action that that tarnishes or diminishes them is
unethical
ò Proactive dimension of the principle compensating the
principle of the respect for human rights
ò Limitation: western connotation of its conceptual
development
ò Application to the context of human mobility

9. Detention Centers for Migrants and Asylum Seekers

10. Superiority of common good
ò Christian Perspective (CSDS 164-165)
ò Set of conditions that the integral fulfillment of the
society as well as the people who compose it
ò Relational dimension of human being and consequences
for his/her fulfillment: the good of the others
ò Superiority of common good on individual good (or
coincidence) = foundation of distributive justice
ò To give to each one not the same but what is due to
increase the common good (foresight and responsibility
of policy makers and rulers)

11. ò Other understandings of common good
ò Machiavelli: common good = conditions that allows the
welfare and development of a given society or state
(independent actor)
ò Hegel: common good = condition that allows the welfare and
development of majority of a given human group
ò In both cases: the sacrifice of a person is justified
ò Similar understanding of the superiority of
common good, but differences in application: it is
important to consider it together with previous
principles (rights and dignity)
ò Application to the context of human mobility
Superiority of common good

12. Border Protection at Ceuta and Melilla

13. Universal destination of goods
ò Principle of solidarity in main world religions:
2 traditional foundations
ò Universal destination of goods due to the will of
Creator
ò Universal destination of goods due to global order
ò Christians: from Jewish roots (CSDC 171-181)
ò Wealth as a personal gift of God and inviolability of
private property, but to be used for the welfare of whole
humankind
ò Jesus of Nazareth: contingency of material goods and
duty of solidarity: egoistic use = divine punishment
ò The first Christian community as example (Act 2,44-45)

14. ò Islam: the creation for the good of everyone
ò Allah creator: natural resources accessible to everyone
ò Personal wealth = gift due a predilection of Allah
ò God = owner of everything, but gift for personal vantage
ò Moral duty of solidarity: alms (Zakat o Zakkah)
ò Hinduism: contingent goods for the whole
ò One should honestly earn material goods (artha) to support him/
herself and his/her family and help those depending on him/her
ò Clear universal plan and distribution of goods according to the role
of each one
ò Every commendatory = duty of alms and solidarity
ò Cosmic transmigration of souls = contingent wealth and properties
Universal destination of goods

15. ò Buddhism: wealth for the happiness of all
ò Destination and distribution of goods like Hinduism
ò Alms and solidarity = moral practices according to the
economic possibilities
ò Global interdependence: personal happiness = happiness
of all
ò Confucianism: solidarity as virtue
ò Difference between rich and poor = opportunity for the
interpersonal cooperation
ò Alms and solidarity in the relationship between rulers and
people, and among people
ò Solidarity as portion of “jen,” preventing individualism
that undermine the order of society
Universal destination of goods

16. ò Many secular ethics: philanthropy and solidarity
as excellent virtues, but no moral duty for
individuals
ò Solidarity = “duty” of civilization as it is
showed by the increase of global solidarity (role
of the processes of globalization)
ò Application to the context of human mobility
Universal destination of goods

17. The new borders of solidarity

18. Global stewardship
ò Principle of corresponsibility
ò Foundation: conscience of a common duty (humankind)
towards the correct stewardship, sound use and harmonious
development of environmental and natural resources
ò Application: duty to intervene to help who is not able to do it
alone
ò Christians: task and accountability
ò Stewardship on universe because of divine command (Gn
1,26-31 and 2,8-17)
ò God is the real owner of the whole creation and humankind
is only steward (accountability)
ò Jesus of Nazareth: the likeness with God (Gn 1,26) and duty
to adopt the same loving care of Creator

19. ò Islam: stewardship and accountability
ò Allah offered the stewardship on everything (amana) to
humankind despite their injustice and ignorance
ò Huge responsibility transferred from generation to
generation and accountability to Allah, who, because of
his mercy, guides and assists
ò Hinduism: global corresponsibility
ò Theory of cycles of rebirths (samsara) and no privileged
position for human beings in the cosmos
ò Duty to respect/protect every living thing: the principle
of sanctity of life (ahimsa) in all its forms
Global stewardship

20. ò Buddhism: like Hinduism, but innovation
ò At the beginning all human being lived in harmony, but
appearance of humankind with egoism e greed
ò Path of enlightenment to reestablish the balance of the
interdependence connections among beings
ò Confucianism: “anthropocosmic” perspective
ò Interaction between heaven (guiding power), earth
(nature) and human beings
ò The “dynamic vitalism” (ch’i) = material power of the
universe that unite the whole cosmos
ò Relationship between human being and nature: strict
moral responsibility with collective dimension
Global stewardship

21. ò Secular ethics: facing the facts
ò Globalization processes and global impact of local
decisions and actions
ò Humanitarian and ecologic questions more interrelated
and individual and collective corresponsibility
ò Interdependence of local economies: cooperation other
countries’ development as international investment
ò Principle of corresponsibility = a step forward
from principle of solidarity (from philanthropy
to duty)
ò Application to the context of human
mobility
Global stewardship

22. North Africa and Near East political upheavals

23. Global citizenship
ò Global citizenship: ancient roots
ò Christians: universalism and true homeland
ò Foundation of nation states, but sense of belonging beyond
borders
ò Christian “Universalism” grounded on two ideas
ò The true homeland = Kingdom of Heaven (Paradise)
ò Every human being is called to be citizen in the “Kingdom of God”
initiated by Jesus of Nazareth
ò Islam: Umma Islamia and paradise
ò Umma Islamia: free movement grated to all believers (art. 23 of
Islamic Declaration of Human Rights)
ò Expansion of Umma Islamia = enlargement of “global citizenship”
ò Koran: the Paradise, eternal homeland for faithful believers

24. ò Hinduism: cosmologic and universal perspective
ò The whole cosmos as natural theater of human existence, while
nation states as historical and contingent determinants
ò Universal spirit = the concept of nation itself as negative
ò Buddhism: cosmopolitism
ò No discrimination because of nationality or race
ò The “big cosmos” as true spatial-temporal dimension of the
transmigrating
ò Cosmopolitan vision of the world (to see with other’s eyes)
ò Confucianism: great unity of the world
ò Holistic and changing cosmology (64 statuses of being)
ò Individual happiness = ultimate goal, not achievable without
universal peace (great unity of the world)
Global citizenship

25. ò Secular Ethics: concept of global fraternity,
nationality not true source of identity
ò The principle of universal citizenship and
contemporary migration and asylum policies:
questions concerning national sovereignty and
security of nationals
ò Application to the context of human mobility
Global citizenship

26. The case of Vietnamese refugees in the Philippines