Pope Francis has criticised Donald Trump’s plans to deport illegal migrants from the US, calling them a “disgrace” if implemented.
Speaking on an Italian TV programme from his Vatican residence, the Pope said such plans would force “poor wretches that don’t have anything” to pay the price.
“That’s not right. That’s not how you solve problems,” he stated.
Trump has vowed to carry out the largest expulsion of undocumented immigrants in US history shortly after taking office.
In a message to Trump on Monday, Pope Francis extended “cordial greetings” and urged him to foster a society without “hatred, discrimination or exclusion,” while promoting “peace and reconciliation among peoples.”
The Pope has consistently championed the cause of migrants. Last August, he condemned efforts to “systematically drive away migrants” as a “grave sin.”
In 2016, ahead of Trump’s first presidential election win, Francis criticised Trump’s proposal to build a wall on the Mexican border, saying: “A person who thinks only about building walls… and not building bridges, is not Christian.”
However, the two leaders later met during Trump’s 2017 visit to Rome.
Ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, Francis refrained from endorsing Trump or his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris. He advised voters to choose “the lesser evil” according to their conscience.
In the Sunday interview, Francis also addressed European migration issues, highlighting the “cruelty” faced by migrants and advocating for well-planned migration policies. He noted that some southern European nations, struggling with population decline, could benefit from migrant labour.
Regarding wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Francis expressed frustration, stating: “I don’t know why… it’s as if there was an international drive towards self-destruction.”
The 88-year-old Pope has led the Catholic Church since his election in 2013, succeeding Pope Benedict XVI.
