2023-09-23 12:12:00
During his visit to Marseille, Pope Francis called for European responsibility in the face of the migratory phenomenon around the Mediterranean.
By HR with AFP Pope Francis called for European solidarity in welcoming migrants. © ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP Published on 09/23/2023 at 12:12 p.m.
The migration issue is animating the Mediterranean coasts, notably with the arrival of several migrant boats in Lampedusa. During his speech in Marseille, Pope Francis called this Saturday, September 23 for “European responsibility”. He also recalled and insisted that migrants who “risk their lives at sea” to reach Europe “do not invade”, pleading for their “integration”.
“The migratory phenomenon is not so much a momentary emergency, always good for generating alarmist propaganda, but a fact of our times,” he said at the close of the Mediterranean Meetings at the Palais du Pharo, believing that this process must be managed “with European responsibility capable of facing objective difficulties”.
“Two words resonated, fueling people’s fear: ‘invasion’ and ’emergency.’ But those who risk their lives at sea do not invade, they seek hospitality” and they “must not be considered a burden to bear,” added the pope, regretting that “several Mediterranean ports” have closed. The day before, the sovereign pontiff had already castigated “indifference” and “fear” in a Europe tempted to retreat in the face of migrants.
Rejection of nationalism
The Pope took up a theme that is dear to him, even as European solidarity is put to the test after the arrival of thousands of migrants on the island of Lampedusa. The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, assured that France “will not welcome migrants” from the Italian island, while the right and the far right denounced a “migrant overwhelm”.
Repeating his fear of seeing “the Mediterranean, cradle of civilization, transformed into a tomb of dignity”, the Pope once again urged not to “close oneself in indifference” while the vice-president of the Commission European Union responsible for migration issues, Margaritis Schinas, was present in the audience.
Castigating “archaic and bellicose nationalisms”, he again called for “a surge of conscience” to “prevent a sinking of civilization” and warned that the future “will not be in the closure which is a return to the past”. In his call for international solidarity, Francis considered that the solution was “to ensure, according to the possibilities of each person, a large number of legal and regular entries”, which would be “sustainable thanks to a fair reception on the part of the European continent, as part of a collaboration with the countries of origin.” ALSO READ Visit of the Pope: in Marseille, the cold sweat of the police
After a visit to people in precarious situations on Saturday morning, in a poor district of Marseille, François also assured that “the real social evil is not so much the increase in problems as the decline in support”.
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