Pope Francis urges nations to take in as many migrants as possible as Europe struggles with a flood of people rescued in the Mediterranean
- Italy's new populist government is tying to reduce arrivals of rescued migrants
- The Pope said countries should take as many immigrants as they can integrate
- He also renewed his criticism of the Trump administration's immigration policy
Pope Francis urged countries yesterday to take in as many refugees as they can and to invest in migrants' home countries, especially in Africa, to stop them turning to human traffickers in desperation.
Italy's new populist government is trying to reduce arrivals of rescued migrants, but the Pope praised both Italy and Greece for being 'most generous' in taking in migrants rescued at sea.
'Each country must do this with the virtue of government, which is prudence, and take in as many refugees as it can, as many as it can integrate, educate, give jobs to,' he said.
The Pope also renewed his criticism of the Trump administration's immigration policy, supporting Roman Catholic bishops in the U.S. who have condemned separating children from parents who enter the country illegally.
Pope Francis talks with journalists on board the flight to Rome as he returns from a one-day visit to Geneva, Switzerland
Francis endorsed European proposals to develop jobs and education in African countries.
Italy and other EU countries on the front line of the migrant crisis have been pushing for more development aid to Africa so poor people there will not risk their lives in the hands of traffickers.
'So many European governments are thinking of an urgent plan to intelligently invest in those countries, to give jobs and education,' Francis said.
He made no reference to the new populist government in Italy which has banned NGO-operated migrant rescue ships from docking.
The EU has insisted it will not create a 'new Guantanamo Bay' with its planned migrant processing centres in North Africa.
Talks are underway with UN agencies over plans to set up so-called 'regional disembarkation platforms' in countries like Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Niger and Tunisia.
The pope also expressed dismay that migrants on smuggler boats are turned back in Libyan waters, returning them to lawless Libya.
Many traffickers are based in Libya and desperate migrants are thrown in prisons to face torture and other abuse.
'The traffickers' prisons are terrible, terrible, like the concentration camps of World War II,' Francis said.
Francis's trip to Geneva was aimed at promoting unity among Christians, including by concretely working together for peace and justice in the world.
President Donald Trump this week reversed a policy of separating immigrant children from their parents after being detained entering the United States without permission.
'I am behind what the bishops say,' the Pope said, referring to the leadership of the U.S. bishops conference denouncing the separations as 'immoral.'
Pope Francis, flanked by Vatican spokesman Greg Burke, talks with journalists on board the flight to Rome as he returns from a one-day visit to Geneva, Switzerland
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