Berkley Center

With over three million people living in situations of internal displacement, Nigeria has the largest population of internally displaced people (IDPs) in West Africa. This population, as well as the demands and suffering associated with displacement, has grown. The causes are complex but include insurgencies, notably Boko Haram; increasing lawlessness and gang violence; and resource-based conflicts linked in part to fluctuations in rainfall associated with a changing climate.

Kenya is one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting countries, with more than 500,000 refugees and asylum seekers coming from East and Central Africa (data as of June 2022).

Rev. David Hollenbach, S.J., sketches historical and contemporary attitudes of the Catholic Church towards migrant issues, including discrepancies between official stances of Church leadership and reported perspectives of members in the pews.