The president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union criticized the European Parliament’s approval, in a 418-218 vote, of a stricter migrant return policy.
“The expansion of detention, the limitations on effective remedies and appeals, and the increasing externalization of responsibilities to third countries raise serious ethical and humanitarian questions,” said COMECE’s president, Bishop Mariano Crociata of Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priverno, Italy.
“The European Union was founded on the conviction that human dignity is inviolable and that solidarity among peoples is not an optional ideal but a fundamental responsibility,” he added. “Europe cannot claim to uphold these values while becoming accustomed to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic serving as silent cemeteries for those seeking safety and a future for their families.”