Catholic Church In Italy Defends Migrants' Rights

File - Photo used for illustration of story. Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, the cathedra seat of the Pope as Primate of Italy.  Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The Roman Catholic Church in Italy has been defending the right of migrants it has given shelter to, to leave its centres.

It follows critical comments by Italy's far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini, connected to a high-profile stand-off that was ended in part by the church's intervention.

Last month, the church took in most of about 130 migrants, mainly Eritreans, held aboard an Italian coastguard vessel.

Mr Salvini had been blocking their disembarkation.

On Wednesday, he criticised the fact that some 50 of them had since left its centres, saying it was further evidence that not all those arriving in Italy were, as he put it, skeletons escaping from war and hunger.

His ministry admitted that the migrants had freedom of movement, a point reinforced by church officials.

One cardinal said the migrants had not come to stay in Italy, but wanted to reach relatives elsewhere.





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