After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I express my closeness to the thousands of migrants,
refugees and others in need of protection in Libya: I never forget you; I hear
your cries and I pray for you. Many of these men, women and children are
subjected to inhuman violence. Once again, I call on the international
community to keep its promises to seek common, concrete and lasting solutions
for the management of migratory flows in Libya and throughout the
Mediterranean. And how those who are turned away suffer! There are real
“lagers” (concentration camps) there. We must put an end to the return of
migrants to unsafe countries and give priority to saving lives at sea, with
predictable rescue and disembarkation devices, guaranteeing them decent living
conditions, alternatives to detention, regular migration routes and access to
asylum procedures. Let us all feel responsible for these brothers and sisters of
ours, who have been victims of this very serious situation for too many years.
Let us pray together for them in silence. […]
