On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, Pope Francis criticized the plan to deport illegal immigrants from the United States, calling it a “disgrace.”
Appearing on Italian national television Sunday night, the pontiff was asked about Trump’s deportation plan and answered “this is not the way to solve things.”
During a 49-minute interview, Fabio Fazio, the host of Che Tempo Che Fa (“What Weather We’re Having”), recalled that Monday would be the inauguration of Mr. Trump, who has made it known that “within two days he will begin his program of expulsion of irregular immigrants from the United States.”
Asked whether he had spoken to Trump about this, the pope made known that he hasn’t spoken with the president-elect since he came to the Vatican in May 2017, suggesting that he had not congratulated him on his election.
“But if it’s true, this will be a disgrace, because it makes these poor wretches, who have nothing, pay the price for the imbalance,” Francis said of the deportation plan. “This isn’t right. This is not the way to solve things.”
On January 9, Pope Francis declared that migrants should not be treated as a “problem to me managed” but should be “welcomed” for their skills and aspirations.
“I find it greatly disheartening to see that migration is still shrouded in a dark cloud of mistrust, rather than being seen as a source of empowerment,” the pontiff said in his yearly address to members of the diplomatic corps.
“People on the move are seen simply as a problem to be managed,” he lamented, insisting that they should not be “treated like objects to be moved about.”
Migrants “have dignity and resources that they can offer to others; they have their own experiences, needs, fears, aspirations, dreams, skills and talents,” he said.
What is needed is an international effort to confront the phenomenon of migration by creating “safe regular pathways,” the pope urged.
At the same time, the Vatican recently announced the tightening of its own border controls, threatening stiff penalties for anyone entering its territory or violating its airspace without permission.
Anyone who “enters the territory of Vatican City State with violence, threat, or deception will be punished with imprisonment from one year to four years and a fine from €10,000.00 to €25,000.00,” the Italian-language text reads.
The document goes on to clarify its understanding of “deception,” noting that it includes sneaking into Vatican territory without permission.
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