A viable solution to immigration: 

For decades, North America and Europe have grappled with the seemingly unsolvable problem of immigration. Territorial sovereignty of prosperous countries, protection of their borders, and care for the needs of their citizens must be balanced by the needs of poor migrants who flee starvation and other straits while they seek to make a decent living for themselves and their families. The United States and many European countries have poured billions of dollars into the coffers of impoverished countries while achieving few results because, due to widespread corruption, the funds wound up in the pockets of greedy and unscrupulous local rulers.  

For Christians the issue is thornier yet, because we all know that, at the end of our earthly life, we will be judged on how we have attended to the needs of Jesus confronting us in his disguise as homeless, needy, and hungry.  

In January, the Most Reverend Michele Tomasi, bishop of Treviso, Italy, paid a visit to Salesian missionaries and volunteers from the Veneto Region, including Treviso, working in Ecuador, and he could witness in several places a viable solution to the problem of immigration.   

This solution could be summarized in this axiom: “Buy our products or welcome our migrants into your country.”  Rather than inviting big corporations and multinational companies, which tend to be impersonal, to invest in Ecuador, local dioceses, with the help of missionaries and volunteers, embarked in an economic experiment that is producing encouraging outcomes. The secret of the project’s initial success is getting the local people, all with direct ties to the land, to be personally involved in creating and operating small, manageable businesses in which they all have a stake. Thus, they do not need any prodding to work hard for their success.  

Ecuador is ideal for raising alpacas, llamas, and sheep. The wool of these three animals is sought after for different qualities, but all three kinds are of great value to different consumers. The same can be said about these three types of milk, especially alpaca and llama. Small textile and dairy farms entice new farmers to venture into this type of business. Local credit unions provide funds for those who would like to invest their talents and efforts for an honest profit. Other farmers work in special orchards to grow aromatic and medicinal herbs. Others mind sugar cane plantations, and still others seek hefty revenue from the cocoa pods of their cacao trees. The missionaries give valuable advice and guidance while making sure that these businesses are conducted with caution—so that only a fair profit is sought, and nobody falls victim to greed by expanding too quickly or by questionable means.  

Visiting different sites, Bishop Tomasi was impressed by how efficiently these businesses were run and how both the dignity of the workers and respect for the land were front and center on everyone’s mind. The hope is that young people may see what goes on profitably close to home and resist the temptation of making a living up north, in foreign lands, far from Ecuador. 

Fr. Dino Vanin, PIME (information gleaned from “Vita del Popolo” N° 7 -2026)

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