Pope Francis says refusing aid to migrants a 'grave sin'

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Pope Francis today strongly decried the treatment of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to enter Europe, saying it was a “grave sin” not to offer aid to migrant vessels, Reuters reports.

“There are those who work systematically and with every means to reject migrants,” the pontiff said during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

“And this, when done with conscience and responsibility, is a grave sin,” he said.

This comes as Spain’s Civil Guard came under severe criticism after video footage emerged showing one of their boats trying to intercept a boat with smugglers and migrants trying to illegally enter Spain from Morocco, but accidentally ran it over.

No one was hurt in the incident.

Over the years, European countries have increased funding to Egypt, Tunisia and Turkiye in an effort to encourage them to stop migrants making the journey into Europe by boat. Human rights groups have condemned the deals, saying they are supporting oppressive regimes, putting already vulnerable migrants in even more danger and often returning them to unsafe areas where they face abuse at the hands of traffickers and government officials.

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