IOM Director General Meets Pope Francis in Rome<

IOM
Published: 16 October 2013

Italy - IOM Director General William Lacy Swing met with Pope Francis on Monday (14/10) in Rome. The 20-minute meeting focused on the latest developments concerning migration worldwide and in particular the tragic events that took place in Lampedusa and Malta during the past week.

Ambassador Swing thanked Pope Francis for devoting his attention to the plight of migrants during his first months of pontificate and for his pastoral visit to Lampedusa last July.

“Migrants have been tragically losing their lives in the Mediterranean for several years and this is continuing. These maritime flows do not represent an emergency in terms of numbers of people arriving, but they do represent a humanitarian emergency. We are all responsible, as Pope Francis has reminded us, for finding ways to respond in solidarity with people escaping from often desperate situations,” said Ambassador Swing.

The meeting underlined the excellent working relationship that exists between IOM and the Vatican, which became an IOM Member State in 2011.

“As an organization devoted to humanitarian assistance and the welfare of migrants, IOM shares with the Vatican an ongoing commitment to further the ideals of peace, social justice and human dignity,” Swing noted.

Both the Pope and Ambassador Swing have highlighted the importance of promoting a spirit of solidarity towards migrants and the need to raise awareness of the plight of the most vulnerable.

As part of his visit to Italy, Ambassador Swing will also visit Lampedusa on Wednesday (16/10.) He will visit the First Aid and Reception Centre on the island and meet with local authorities, including Mayor Giusi Nicolini.