Migrants: Pope in ‘nationalist’ jibe at Europe
THE Pope condemned the ‘nationalist egoism’ of European leaders yesterday as he questioned their handling of the migrant crisis.
Pope Francis referred to the neglect of migrants as the ‘shipwreck of civilisation’ as he visited a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.
Issuing a call for European leaders to act, the 84-year-old pontiff warned politicians that the Mediterranean was ‘becoming a grim cemetery without tombstones’.
He added: ‘In Europe there are those who persist in treating the problem as a matter that does not concern them.
‘After all this time, we see that little in the world has changed with regard to the issue of migration.
‘[The causes] should be confronted – not the poor people who pay the consequences and are even used for political propaganda.’ His comments follow an earlier address in which he said: ‘The European community, torn by nationalist self-interest, rather than being the engine of solidarity, appears at times blocked and uncoordinated.’
More than 105,000 refugees and migrants have arrived by
‘A cemetery with no tombstones’
sea in Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Malta so far this year according to the United Nations Humans High Commissioner for Refugees.
The EU has been locked in a dispute with Belarus over the number of migrants using its borders to gain entry to Poland, Lithuania and Latvia in recent months. Britain and France have also seen a deterioration in their relationship as a row over migrants continues.
The number of migrants attempting to cross the Channel hit crisis point last month when 27 people drowned in a crossing. French politicians have refused to accept an offer from Boris Johnson to provide British troops to help patrol their beaches in an effort to reduce the number of small boats launched.