Iran Press/ Europe: Speaking to Italian television station Rai, the Pope said on Friday that the weakest always suffer more than others in wars, adding: “Refugees are divided, there are first and second degrees, according to skin color, whether you come from a developed country or a non-developed one.
“We are racists, and that’s a bad thing,” the Pope added.
The pontiff pointed out that racism underlies the fact that many countries are more welcoming to refugees from war-torn Ukraine than to refugees from other parts of the world.
According to figures monitored by the United Nations, more than 4.7 million Ukrainians have left the country since the Russian military operation in late February.
While the EU calls this the largest humanitarian crisis that Europe has witnessed in "many, many years," it is important to remember that it was not so long ago that the continent faced another critical humanitarian challenge, the 2015 refugee "crisis" spurred by the conflict in Syria. But the starkly different responses---to date---that Europe has directed at these two situations provide a cautionary lesson for those hoping for a more humane, generous Europe. The differences also help explain why some of those fleeing Ukraine---in particular, nationals from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East---are not getting the same generous treatment as the citizens of Ukraine.
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