Migrants: European bishops express deep concern over the crackdown on repatriation

The Commission of the European Union Bishops’ Conferences (COMECE) expresses “deep concern regarding certain aspects of the new legislative framework which risk undermining the effective protection of the fundamental rights and dignity of vulnerable people. In particular, the extension of detention, restrictions on appeals and effective redress procedures, and the increasing outsourcing of responsibilities to third countries raise serious ethical and humanitarian issues’, say the bishops, commenting on the new rules approved in Europe on the return of migrants.

“Migration is not simply a matter of procedures, statistics or border management. It concerns human beings: women, men and children, each of whom possesses an inviolable dignity that must remain at the heart of every political decision,” the COMECE bishops state in a statement.

“During his recent visit to the Canary Islands, Pope Leo XIV reminded Europe and the world – as the bishops point out – that we cannot remain indifferent to those who perish at sea, fall victim to human trafficking or are forced to flee from war, violence, persecution, hunger or environmental degradation. As the Holy Father stated, migrants are not ‘a category or a statistic’, but people who ‘could be part of our own family’. These words challenge our conscience and invite us to look beyond fear and political opportunism.”

“The European Union was founded on the conviction that human dignity is inviolable and that solidarity amongst peoples is not an optional ideal, but a fundamental responsibility,” conclude the European bishops, renewing their “call to ensure that migration and asylum policies remain firmly rooted in respect for human dignity, fundamental rights, the right to seek asylum, the protection of family unity and special attention to the most vulnerable. Security and solidarity are not opposing principles; they must go hand in hand.