Rome (Italy). On 4 and 5 October 2025, the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (GMMR) is celebrated, established by the Church in 1914 to bring the attention of ecclesial and civil communities to the different categories of vulnerable people on the move, pray for them as they face numerous challenges, and raise awareness of the opportunities offered by migration.
Unlike every year, in which the GMMR is celebrated on the last Sunday of September, this year the Day, at the behest of Pope Francis, is celebrated in conjunction with Jubilee of Migrants and together with the Jubilee of the Missionary World. The program of this jubilee event therefore includes, in Rome, two days of meetings, testimony, celebration, and spirituality, in the presence of the Holy Father.
“Migrants, missionaries of hope” it is the theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV for the annual Message. The Pope writes, “The current global context is sadly marked by wars, violence, injustices, and extreme meteorological phenomena, which force millions of people to leave their homeland to seek refuge elsewhere. (…)The prospect of a renewed arms race and the development of new weapons, including nuclear ones, the lack of consideration of the harmful effects of the ongoing climate crisis, and the profound economic inequalities make the challenges of the present and future more difficult.”
In the report Global Trends 2024 of the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency – published in June 2025, states that “at the end of 2024, there were 123.2 million who fled their Country due to persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations, up 6% from 2023, or 7 million more. So, in the world, 1 in 67 people are on the run. (…) The main drivers of flight remain major conflicts such as those in Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine, and the continued inability of politics to stop the fighting.”
In this regard, Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said, “We live in a period of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile and harrowing landscape, marked by acute human suffering. We must redouble our efforts to seek peace and find lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes.”
Pope Leo in his Messaggio, however, highlights the positive contribution of migrants even in this difficult context. “In a world obscured by wars and injustices, even where everything seems lost, migrants and refugees set themselves up as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity is heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see.”
“In particular – says the Pope – Catholic migrants and refugees can today become missionaries of hope in the Countries that welcome them, carrying forward new paths of faith where the message of Jesus Christ has not yet arrived or starting interreligious dialogues made of everyday life and search for common values.”
And he concludes by entrusting “all those who find themselves on a journey, as well as those who do their utmost to accompany them, to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, comfort of migrants, so that she may keep hope alive in their hearts and support them in their commitment to building a world that increasingly resembles the Kingdom of God, the true homeland that awaits us at the end of our journey.”
To prepare to make the most of GMMR, you can download all the resources on the Dicastery for Integral Human Development website resources for the GMMR 2025: in addition to the Pope’s Message, some graphics to use, a pastoral kit with prayers and resources, and a video testimony.