Pope Urges European Countries to Accept Refugees from Rescue Ships
The fate of 49 refugees aboard two German rescue ships off the coast of Malta remains uncertain. On this occasion, the Pope called on the leaders of European countries to find a way to resolve this dilemma.
Pope Francis, leader of Catholics worldwide, warned the heads of European countries to save refugees aboard two German rescue ships in the Mediterranean Sea who are searching for a safe shore to disembark.
On Sunday, December 16 (January 6), the Pope spoke before thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, saying that 49 people who were saved from death by two rescue ships in the Mediterranean Sea have been waiting for days on these ships to disembark on a safe shore.
The Pope continued: “I warn the leaders and prime ministers of European countries to specifically express solidarity with these refugees.”
Rescuers from the rescue boat “Sea-Watch” saved 32 people from death in the Mediterranean Sea before Christmas. In the final days of December of last year (2018), another rescue boat named “Sea-Eye” also saved 17 other refugees.
These two boats were allowed to approach the shores of Malta due to bad sea conditions, but were not permitted to enter the country’s shores.
Germany Seeks a European Solution
Malta, Italy, and Spain are unwilling to accept these refugees. Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Interior Minister and leader of the anti-immigration party “Lega Nord,” announced in an interview with reporters from the Italian newspaper “Il Messaggero” that Italy has no more room to accept refugees.
Salvini, who holds very critical views toward the European Union, the euro, illegal immigration, and the EU’s management of refugees, also emphasized in a tweet that “Italy’s shores will remain closed.”
Germany and the Netherlands have announced that if other European countries also declare cooperation, they are willing to accept these refugees.
A spokesman for Germany’s Interior Ministry announced that the country has sent a message to the European Commission that Germany is willing to accept these refugees as part of a coordinated distribution of rescued refugees among European countries.
Refugee Statistics at the United Nations
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Sunday, December 16 (January 6), that from the end of December 2017 to mid-2018, the number of refugees increased by 300,000, reaching 68 million 800 thousand people worldwide.
Syria with six and a half million, Afghanistan with 2 million 700 thousand, and South Sudan with 2 million 500 thousand have the highest number of refugees worldwide.
Source: DW
