The Catholic Church has opened a new support centre for migrants and displaced families in Bengaluru, the capital of India’s Karnataka state. The Pope Francis Migrant Centre was inaugurated on December 3 as part of efforts to provide care, protection, and hope for migrants arriving in the city in search of a better life.
The centre was formally opened by Cardinal Silvano Tomasi and launched in partnership with the Scalabrinian Missionaries, an order with a long history of working with migrants worldwide. It is located near Yeshwantpur Railway Station, a key arrival point for many migrants entering Bengaluru every day.
The Pope Francis Migrant Centre in Bengaluru will offer a wide range of services. These include temporary shelter, counselling, legal assistance, skills training, emergency help, and community support for migrant families. Church leaders say the goal is to ensure migrants do not feel abandoned during difficult moments in their lives.
Archbishop Victor Henry Thakur of Raipur, chairman of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India Migrants Commission, said the centre reflects the Church’s mission to walk closely with migrants. He stressed that migrants should never feel alone and should always find the Church as a welcoming home that listens and protects them.
Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore said the opening date was significant, as it coincided with the feast of St Francis Xavier, a missionary who had a deep impact in India. He explained that the centre aims to offer hope and opportunity to migrants arriving in Bengaluru, inspired by the same missionary spirit.
Cardinal Tomasi described the initiative as a clear sign of the Gospel in action. He said every act of welcome shows that the Church is alive when it bends down to care for migrants and those living on the margins of society.
Fr Leonir Chiarello, the superior general of the Scalabrinians, said the centre continues their 130-year mission of serving migrants with compassion and professionalism. He noted that the new centre strengthens long-standing efforts to support displaced people through dignity and care.
Karnataka Energy Minister K. J. George, who attended the inauguration, shared his family’s long migration journey from Syria to Kerala and later to Bengaluru. He said this personal history helps him understand the struggles migrants face and reaffirms the government’s support for initiatives that promote dignity and inclusion. An estimated 3,000 migrants arrive in Bengaluru each day, highlighting the growing need for such support services.