RCC condemns measures to deport migrants from EU

EU flags outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. Photo: Shutterstock

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) has spoken out against new EU rules aimed at speeding up the removal of illegal migrants. Catholic bishops said the strengthening of control measures threatens the “dignity” and rights of migrants. This was reported by LifeSiteNews.

On June 17, the European Parliament approved rules allowing foreigners with no right to stay to be detained for up to 30 months and enabling the creation of special detention centers outside Europe.

The new rules also provide for the deportation of children as a “last resort” and tougher sanctions for individuals who pose a security threat. According to the European Commission, last year only one in four people ordered to leave EU territory actually did so.

In their statement, the bishops referred to Pope Leo XIV’s call not to show indifference toward those fleeing wars and persecution.

“Migrants are not a category or statistics, but people who could be part of our own family,” the authors quoted the pontiff as saying, urging politicians to look “beyond fear.”

For her part, Caritas Europa Secretary General Maria Nyman expressed regret that the new rules “normalize coercive measures” and lead to the criminalization of newcomers.

At the same time, the RCC and Caritas completely ignored the problem of rising crime in Europe caused by the mass influx of migrants from countries such as Afghanistan and Syria. According to a 2025 parliamentary inquiry in Germany, people from these countries commit crimes ten times more often than the native population.

As the UOJ reported, the Romanian Church addressed its flock amid anti-migrant unrest.

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