The president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants spoke to AsiaNews about humanitarian emergencies in Europe and Southeast Asia. For him, the latter are primarily a political problem, and governments should show “a little more good will”. Shelling boats will not help countries from where people flee.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Recent migrant emergencies in Europe and Asia are “above all a political problem that cannot be solved by volunteers. The latter, especially Catholic volunteers, do a lot, but what they do is specific, locally targeted for people seeking help,” said Card Antonio Maria Vegliò, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, who spoke to AsiaNews.

Two days ago, the European Union gave the green light to a naval mission again human smuggling in the Mediterranean. The plan, which is waiting for UN approval, involves the use of European ships and air reconnaissance off the coast of Libya to seize boats and rescue migrants and refugees.

The proposal also includes distributing the latter among European countries according to a quota system yet to be determined, but which has already aroused concern because several EU members seem reluctant to go along.

The cardinal admits that finding a solution to this crisis will be "very difficult", but it is important to note that "unlike a few weeks ago, the Italian Government is no longer alone and has managed to bring at least part of the problem to the attention of Europe and the UN."

"Of course, for now results are very disappointing,” the prelate explained. “We hear more talk about shelling boats, throwing people back into sea, and bulldozing camps, but this is no way of dealing with the very serious problems that exist. No one has ‘the’ solution, but all governments should show some more good will."

In fact, such "destructive proposals” remind us of what is happening in Southeast Asia, and that is truly scary, Card Vegliò said.

In that region, “About 6,000 people have been adrift for days – Bangladeshi migrants, Rohingya and other nationalities – because no one wants them, neither Malaysia, nor Thailand, or Indonesia. And so they are in the middle of sea without food, water, fuel; all dying, little by little. "

"Poverty breeds migrants and wars create refugees,” said the president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants. However, “People should not be forced to go away to live in dignity, or escape death because of political or religious persecution. To avoid such situations, these nations should be helped to be independent by investing in them and create job opportunities."

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