Francis plans to bring a number of migrants from Cyprus back to Rome.
Pope Francis, who will visit Cyprus next week, plans to bring a number of migrants back to Rome, Cypriot authorities said on Friday.
The pontiff, who will be on the Mediterranean island between December 2 and 4, wants to organize a trip for an unknown number of migrants to also go to Rome, Cypriot government spokesman Marios Pelekanos told reporters.
In 2013, the pope returned from Lesbos with three Syrian families, at a time when the Greek island was the main port of entry for migrants to Europe.
After visiting Cyprus in early December, you will go to the island of Lesbos.
The gesture confirms “that the Vatican recognizes the problem that the Republic of Cyprus faces today, due to the increase in migratory flows,” said Pelekanos.
The politician reiterated Cyprus’s request for “a more equitable distribution (of immigrants) among the EU member states, to alleviate the problem in the front-line countries.”
Cyprus claims that it is facing a “migration crisis” and wants to suspend the asylum applications of people who enter its territory illegally.
According to the Government, the country has the highest number of asylum applications of the 27 members of the EU in relation to its population of almost one million inhabitants.
Cyprus accuses Turkey of orchestrating this crisis by allowing the passage of irregular immigrants from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Since the Turkish army invaded northern Cyprus in 1974 in response to a coup by Greek Cypriot nationalists who wanted to unite the island with Greece, the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the EU since 2004, has been divided in two. (I)
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