By Agnes Rausch (original in French)

In the 1970s, following the labour agreement between Portugal and Luxembourg, children of Portuguese origin entered Luxembourgish schools. This motivated Margot Reuland, a teacher and long-time CLC member, to learn Portuguese in order to better welcome them.

While giving support lessons to Edo and Isah, refugee children from the war in Yugoslavia, Anne Sauber—retired teacher and then president of CLC-LU—befriended the whole family and discovered their deep faith: they were Muslim. She then wrote an article in the CLC bulletin, inviting dialogue with Islam.

It was from that time on that within CLC, a sharing group—the Ignatian Migration Group (GIM)—began meeting regularly, bringing together members engaged with migrants: to support one another, to raise awareness within CLC about the situation of migrant people, and to reflect on structural improvements needed in our society. Thus, in 2009, CLC sent a questionnaire to election candidates regarding the reception and integration of foreign people (refugees, workers, students). During one of the thematic evenings on the reality of migrants, young people shared about their double belonging, and about the different language spoken at home.

Since 2007, the GIM had been in contact with JRS-Europe , and from 2017 onward, the GIM became the promoter of a JRS in Luxembourg, created in May 2020. CLC members now serve there as board members, donors, and volunteers—particularly in projects involving young people who are especially vulnerable. Thanks to JRS, professionalisation (3 employees / 30 volunteers) and the hosting of young volunteers became possible; belonging to a large family with strong values ensures sustainable action.

For CLC-LU, its presence in the European network on forced migration has been beneficial, and the meetings held in Luxembourg in 2011 and 2014 were “milestones.” Participation in the CLC -Italy project in Ragusa, Sicily, in 2015 was the starting point for annual summer projects with young refugees; the young volunteers coming through the CLC network from Egypt, France, and even Mexico were true rays of sunshine.

CLC in Luxembourg can make its own the words of Pope Francis written for the 100th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and repeated by Pope Leo XIV in DILEXI TE: “Every human being is a child of God! The image of Christ is imprinted in them! We must therefore see in the migrant and in the refugee not just a problem to be faced, but a brother or sister to welcome, to respect, and to love—a chance offered by Providence to contribute to the building of a more just society, a more complete democracy, a more caring country, a more fraternal world, and a more open Christian community, according to the Gospel.”