2023-09-22 20:03:52
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Pope Francis defends migrants in France
Pope Francis arrived this Friday (22) in Marseille, in southeastern France, to issue a new warning about the migration crisis in the Mediterranean Sea. The visit takes place on the same day that the European Union (EU) announced a package worth 127 million euros (around R$666 million) for Tunisia in order to contain the migratory flow that enters the continent through the Italian island of Lampedusa.
In Marseille, Francis said that “saving lives at sea is a duty.” In his first engagement in the French city, the Pontiff visited a memorial that commemorates the victims of the ocean and warned that the Mediterranean Sea had become a “huge cemetery”.
For the religious man, “people who are at risk of drowning when abandoned in the waves must be rescued”, because “it is a duty of humanity, it is a duty of civilization”.
EU wants to curb migration
According to European Commission spokesperson Ana Pisonero, the financial package sent to Tunisia is based on close cooperation in the repression of human trafficking networks, and the funds should be made official and delivered in the coming days.
The announcement comes in the wake of an agreement, announced in July, between the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; and the prime ministers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, and the Netherlands, Mark Rutte; and Tunisian leader Kais Saied.
The memorandum of understanding signed at the time was based on five pillars, including the migration crisis, seeking to curb irregular flows in the Central Mediterranean, which leave North Africa and enter Europe, mainly through the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is in a state emergency due to excessive landings.
“The Commission is accelerating both active programs and actions within the scope of assistance linked to the memorandum. They will help us face the urgent situation we see today in Lampedusa, also in line with the 10-point plan announced”, explained Pisonero.
According to her, the leaders are “committed to carrying out the action of the memorandum”: “Giving priority, in the field of cooperation in migration matters, to the repression of trafficking networks, and intensifying EU assistance to develop the capabilities of the authorities of Tunisia, in addition to supporting the repatriation of volunteers and the reinsertion of migrants in their countries of origin with full respect”.
Migration crisis in Italy
The pope’s trip and the EU package come at a time when Italy is experiencing a new migration crisis.
In recent weeks, thousands of migrants have landed on the island of Lampedusa, prompting the EU to adopt a plan to help Italy manage the migration route. Before leaving the country, the Pope sent a telegram to the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, reinforcing his “objective of reflecting on the challenges of welcome, integration and fraternity, to encourage intercultural dialogue and promote paths of peace.”
Following the announcement of the EU package to Tunisia, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, highlighted the need for diplomacy in approaching the issue: “The Italian government brought the issue to the attention of the United Nations and we had many positive responses, especially from the countries of departure and from those who want to collaborate”.
“It takes a lot of diplomacy. We are working intensely, the number of people arriving from Tunisia and Libya is already decreasing, there are the first positive results. We need optimism, determination, seriousness. No slogans are needed, but a lot of work and that’s what we are doing”, concluded Tajani.
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