Miracles do happen !
The detainees in the only Slovenian 'close detention centre,' which I visit once or twice a week, arouse my deepest feelings and move my heart. My visit is always a special moment for me. The detainees are persons affected by Slovenian laws and European directives on migration in Slovenia, which is one of the Schengen (so-called) countries of Europe. Meeting them gives me a chance to offer a few words of hope and consolation when they are discouraged or low owing to the harsh conditions at the detention centre.
Listening to them and expressing my understanding and compassion gives me peace. It is also a time of inner serenity peace as I try to be a testimony of God's love for all, regardless of race, religion or nationality.
I like meeting people and have been visiting this particular detention centre for more than 6 years. It is a privilege and yet a challenge to encounter detainees from all corners of the world. I have met people mainly from Asia, Africa and Europe, mostly non EU citizens. But I have also met people from the USA and Latin America who have been detained here. Soon after coming back from my tertianship in Chile, I was surprised to find a Chilean with whom I could talk. I found out that he had been caught by police in Slovenia. I had never imagined meeting anyone from Chile in a detention centre.
I am always astonished to hear the answers to my question: 'Why do people choose Slovenia on their way to the other European countries?' Slovenia is still considered by many persons as a transit country on the way to the other Schengen countries in the EU like Germany, Italy, and France, where many detainees have relatives or friends. They come hoping to get a job in these countries, not knowing of the deep crisis the EU is facing now. Some said that they did not even know where Slovenia was when they were caught by the police in this small country of little more than 2 million inhabitants. Because they had no (valid) documents, they were sent to the detention centre for identification and possible deportation to different destinations.
Every detainee has his or her own life story to share. However, when they are stopped by the police and sent here to this centre, it seems as if their life's journey has been blocked. They are stuck in this centre, which seems to them to be a prison because they are restrained and not free to move out. They do not know what to do with themselves for their lives have been interrupted by restrictions they never expected. Some are shocked; they were so close to their destination, but could not reach it. Others are full of hope and say God will help them to overcome all these obstacles. They are forced to face the hard life in the detention centre while they wait weeks, and sometimes many months, for liberation be from this bondage. Accompanying and serving such detainees in the midst of their sadness, fragility, discouragement, anger, failure, in short a situation of complete vulnerability, has been a rich learning experience for me and the other volunteers with whom I work.
It upsets me to see so many men from Afghanistan who left their country for peace and better living conditions. It moves me deeply to hear Afghan youngsters share how they faced many difficulties - even at the risk of their lives - on their way to that 'promised land' called Europe. Only God knows how many people must have died on the way to Europe. Thinking of Afghanistan, I ask myself how a country can progress and develop after going through so many decades of war? When will 'real peace' come to this country? When can the people choose their own destinies? Working for just and durable solutions for all is the only way forward.
A special miracle happened in the detention centre in 2008, when a room of silence - the first one in Slovenia - was opened for people of different religious denominations to pray. I have been giving pastoral care to Catholics, but the room is also used by Muslims and followers of the Orthodox Church. The 50 km long drive from the detention centre back to Ljubljana - the capital of Slovenia where I live - is a great opportunity to reflect and pray for these people so that they may endure better their stay in the detention centre, so that God will show them a solution. Many become more spiritual when they observe others praying for strength, light and hope. God's love inspires other hearts to search and find God - even in the detention centre. Yes, miracles do happen even here!
Robin Schweiger SJ
