Pope Francis 14 said on Monday that immigrants continue to “die in the ways of despair” as countries argue “about their fate”.
The statement was given during an audience with a Christian federation of charities, following the diplomatic crisis between Italy and France over saving people in the Mediterranean.
“Think of the many young people who have been forced to leave their homelands in search of a dignified life, the many men, women and children who have faced inhuman journeys and all forms of violence, and the many people who continue to die on the roads. Do not despair or look elsewhere while their fate is spoken,” he said.
According to the Catholic leader, “forced migration to escape wars, famine, persecution or climate change is one of the greatest evils of this time. We can only face its roots by guaranteeing real development for all countries.” . .
Last week, the French government authorized the disembarkation of the humanitarian ship Ocean Viking, owned by the NGO SOS Méditerranée, which rescued 234 people in the central Mediterranean at the end of October and was rejected by Italy, the closest European country to rescue. area.
On the other hand, President Emmanuel Macron’s administration suspended the agreement for the accommodation of 3,500 asylum seekers living on the territory of Italy and increased the controls at the border between the countries. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described Paris’ reaction as “aggressive and unfair”.
According to the Ministry of Interior, Italy received 90,300 forced migrants across the Mediterranean in 2022, an increase of 56% compared to the same period last year.
However, most of these people travel to countries in the north such as Germany and France, which account for 238,700 and 134,400 refugees, respectively, by August, compared to 61.8 thousand in Italy.
The latest annual report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicates that at the end of 2021, France was hosting around 500,000 refugees, versus 145,000 refugees from Italy.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 1,400 people died or went missing while trying to cross the central Mediterranean in 2022.
source: Noticias
