Mediterranean Sea A "Cemetery": Pop Francis Comes Down Heavily On Anti-Immigration (Photo on X@Pontifex)
Denouncing those far-right groups who downgrade migrants as sinners, Pope Francis on August 28 raised his voice against restrictive immigration laws and border militarisation. While speaking at his weekly address, which is mostly on theology, the pop talked about the migrants’ situation, asking those in authority to think about those who cross seas and deserts to shore a land where they can live in peace and security.
The trend of bashing immigrants is growing across the US and Europe, with far-right politicians calling for stringent measures to curb the arrival of new refugees.
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Stating that there are people who work systematically and with every means possible to repel migrants, Francis said it is a grave sin when done with awareness and responsibility. “Let us not forget what the Bible tells us: ‘You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him,” he said, adding that the migrants cross the boundary to seek refuge.
“When I say ‘sea,’ in the context of migrations, I also mean ocean, lake, river, all the insidious bodies of water that so many brothers and sisters all over the world are forced to cross to reach their destination. And ‘desert’ is not only that of sand and dunes, or rocks, but they are also those inaccessible and dangerous territories, such as forests, jungles, and steppes, where migrants walk alone, left to their own devices. Migrants, sea, and desert,” News portal the hill quoted the head of the Catholic Church.
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Notably, the pope has called for more humane migration policies for years, causing trouble with far-right politicians who want to bring in restrictive laws. Referring to the Mediterranean Sea, that divides Africa from Europe, which has seen thousands of migrants losing their lives while attempting to cross the border each year, the pope called the sea “a cemetery.”
“In the time of satellites and drones, there are migrant men, women, and children that no one must see. They are hidden. Only God sees them and hears their cry. And this is a cruelty of our civilization,” said the pope, suggesting the human rights violations along migrant routes both toward Europe and in the Americas and the abandonment of migrants by both governments.
The pope went on to say that all can agree that migrants should not be in those seas and lethal deserts. He highlighted that it is not through more restrictive laws, militarization of borders, or rejection, but by extending safe and legal access routes for migrants and providing refuge for those who are free from war, violence, persecution, and various disasters, “we will have a global governance of migration based on justice, fraternity, and solidarity. Francis also asked to combat human trafficking and to stop the criminal traffickers who exploit the misery of others. Earlier too, Francis had engaged in various initiatives aimed at alleviating migrants troubles.
