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 “should not be considered a burden to bear,” the pope added, 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.
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 again urged not to “close ourselves in indifference” while the vice-president of the Commission European Union responsible for migration issues, Margaritis Schinas, was present in the audience.
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 care”.