“The refugee problem is not an emergency, it is our reality”
Even the day before, “Rescuing migrants is humanity’s duty.”
Pope Francis, who is visiting France, urged tolerance toward immigrants on the 23rd (local time).
According to the BBC, during his visit to the southern French city of Marseille, Pope Francis told a gathering of bishops and young people from Mediterranean countries, “Those who risk their lives at sea do not invade,” and added, “The many people who flee due to war, hunger, and poverty will be treated legally.” “And it must be accepted on a regular basis,” he urged.
Pope Francis said, “There is a cry of pain that resonates more than anything else,” using a Latin expression to transform the Mediterranean, “our sea” (mare nostrum), from the cradle of civilization to the “sea of death” (mare mortuum), the grave of dignity. “It’s changing,” he criticized.
He emphasized, “Migration is not an emergency, but a reality of our time, including in the three continents around the Mediterranean,” and “it must be handled wisely, including in Europe.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also attended the event.
This statement came as the debate reignited last week after a large influx of refugees into Lampedusa, a small island in the southernmost part of Italy. According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), approximately 8,500 refugees arrived on 199 boats between the 11th and 13th alone. The island has about 6,000 residents. It is known that more than 120,000 refugees have immigrated this year.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin welcomed the Pope who arrived in Marseille the day before and announced that France would not accept any immigrants from the island.
On the 22nd, the Pope delivered a message that it is humanity’s duty to save migrants who are risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean in small boats.
He warned against ‘fanaticism of indifference’ and ‘paralysis of fear’ and urged governments around the world to “rescue people who are at risk of drowning when abandoned by the waves.”
It has been 500 years since the Pope visited Marseille, France’s second largest city.
Pope Francis participated in the closing event of the ‘Mediterranean Conference’ in Marseille, which addresses economic inequality, climate change, and migration issues. The Pope also met with President Macron and is scheduled to return to Rome this afternoon after celebrating Mass at the Velodrome Stadium.
Source: Donga