SW News: The Catholic Archbishop of Johannesburg addressed the suffering of "stateless children" throughout Africa during an online conference on "statelessness" hosted by the Migration and Human Trafficking Working Group of the Justice, Peace, and Development Commission of the Church.

Members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) Networks met virtually to explore the difficulties of statelessness and alternative solutions that may lead to its eradication.

SECAM is a contact, research, and consulting organization for the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar's regional conferences. It consists of all regional conferences in Africa and Madagascar that are legally formed Episcopal conferences.

Human trafficking, violent conflict, and seasonal migration, according to Archbishop Joseph Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, have all contributed to an increase in the number of stateless children in Africa. According to the prelate, children living in border areas contribute to statelessness because they lack a sense of belonging to either country and move freely between two or three countries, eventually becoming stateless due to a lack of documents or nationality.

The Johannesburg Archbishop, who is also a member of the UNHCR-Religions for Peace Multi-Religious Council of Leaders, discussed "seasonal migrants," since they travel about, do not dwell in one area or nation, and do not register their children's births.

The bishop also blamed statelessness on "human trafficking" and climate change. "In some cases, trafficked children remain stateless and grow into adulthood without proper documentation," he said. "Climate change forces families to relocate in search of better opportunities."

The bishop slammed Africa's government for failing to register infants. People, especially those living in distant locations, are uninformed of how to record children's births, and the government has not implemented measures to assure birth registration.

The cardinal concluded his comments by praising the Catholic Church in South Africa's efforts to care for abandoned children, emphasizing the work of religious sisters who "work a lot with women and children."