The Pope describes the disappearance of 130 migrants in the Mediterranean as “shameful”

The Pope Francisco described Sunday as “shame” the disappearance of 130 migrants since Thursday after a shipwreck in the Mediterranean, and declared “very saddened by this tragedy.”

“I confess that I am very saddened by the tragedy that, once again, has occurred in recent days in the Mediterranean. Brothers and sisters, let us ask ourselves about this umpteenth tragedy. It is a moment of shame, ”Regina Coeli told the faithful after the prayer in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

The NGO SOS Méditerranée said Thursday that it detected dozens of bodies near the coast of Libya next to an inflatable boat, which overturned while some 130 migrants were traveling in it.

“One hundred and thirty migrants died at sea, they are people, they are human lives that for two whole days begged in vain for help. A help that did not come ”the Pope continued.

Humanitarian NGOs accuse the countries of the European Union not only of not wanting to help migrants in danger but also of preventing their rescue activities.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 453 migrants have drowned in the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2021, most of them on the central route that connects the coasts of Tunisia and Libya with those of Italy.