Pope Benedict XVI appealed for fair treatment of young immigrants and said they are often at risk of exploitation.

At the same time, he urged immigrants to always respect the law and never allow their frustration to turn to violence.

He made the comments at a noon blessing Jan. 13, which was marked by Catholic communities in many countries as the World Day for Migrants and Refugees.

Late last year the pope wrote a message for the event which noted that the future of many children today is jeopardized by forced migration, human trafficking and other refugee factors.

Addressing pilgrims from his apartment above St. Peter's Square, the pope cited the growing number of young migrants around the globe, many of whom are separated from their families and their home countries. Girls and minors among the migrant population face particular risks, he said.

"Some children and adolescents are born and raised in refugee camps. They, too, have the right to a future," he said.

He asked church communities to welcome with sympathy young immigrants and their parents and to help them take their place in the local culture.

Addressing "dear young migrants," he said: "Work with others your age to build a more just and fraternal society, fulfilling your duties, respecting the laws and never allowing yourselves to be transported to violence," he said.

Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, told Vatican Radio that greater international efforts were needed to protect young migrants.

The World Day for Migrants and Refugees should be a moment of global appreciation for young migrants, he said.

"It's an opportunity to recognize the contribution that millions of migrants, most of them young people, make to development in its various forms and to the well-being, above all economic, in many countries of the world," the archbishop said.

---CNS