The voice of Pope Francis is very important in Africa, said UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi during a visit to Vatican City and Rome. He met with Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as well as Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
Putting up barriers to stop the arrival of migrants from Africa "is a crime", but the EU does not support first host countries such as Italy, said Pope Francis.
Pope Francis has denounced what he called Europe’s indifference to migrants who risk their lives to cross the Mediterranean, saying their exclusion was "scandalous, disgusting and sinful."
The Vatican has warned the center-right coalition that secured a parliamentary majority in Italy's recent national election that helping migrants is a moral obligation. "If someone is in difficulty in the middle of the sea, it is a moral and human obligation to help and not to make things harder", said Cardinal Michael Czerny.
Malta is a key location as concerns the issue of migration, Pope Francis said Wednesday during his general audience in speaking about his trip to the island this week. He then called for the world to become more "fraternal, more liveable" in order to save itself from a "shipwreck that threatens all of us".
Pope Francis took an elevator to board his flight to Malta to "avoid unnecessary strain." The trip to Malta comes one day after he apologized to Canada's indigenous communities for abuses at residential schools there.
Pope Francis on Sunday January 23 expressed pain at the deaths of migrants at sea because they are not allowed to land, he said.
Pope Francis on January 10 thanked Italy for welcoming migrants in an address to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.
Pope Francis has called on countries to share responsibility on migration and refugee issues, and engage in dialogue to solve conflicts throughout the globe.
Save the Children has released a video inspired by the famous Hans Christian Andersen story, The Little Match Girl. Coming on the heels of the Pope's visit to the Greek island of Lesbos, the video urges viewers to change the story's ending, by asking Europe to respect the rights and dignity of migrants, especially children.
The pontiff has pleaded countries to offer migrants rescued from the Mediterranean safe disembarkation at ports, alternatives to detention, and access to asylum.
Italy has begun vaccinating all migrants landing on the island of Lampedusa, where dozens of Tunisians and other migrants have been arriving daily. Visiting US diplomats praised the coordination and the management of the site.