"While we work to ensure that in every case migration is the fruit of a free decision, we are called to show maximum respect for the dignity of each migrant", Pope Francis wrote in the message released on May 11 for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees to be celebrated on September 24.

"This entails accompanying and managing waves of migration as best we can, constructing bridges and not walls, expanding channels for a safe and regular migration."

According to the pope, "to make migration a choice that is truly free, efforts must be made to ensure to everyone an equal share in the common good, respect for his or her fundamental rights, and access to an integral human development".

Correct information necessary

The pontiff, moreover, said people should be fully aware of what it means to leave their country "in order to avoid great numbers of men, women and children falling victim to perilous illusions or unscrupulous traffickers".

Francis said it is "clear" that such a mission should be the responsibility of the countries of origin of migrants and of their leaders who are "called to practice a good politics - one that is transparent, honest, farsighted and at the service of all, especially those most vulnerable."

"At the same time, they must be empowered to do this, without finding themselves robbed of their natural and human resources and without outside interference aimed at serving the interests of a few", noted the pope.

Ending forced migration requires "shared commitment on the part of all, in accordance with the responsibilities of each", Francis stressed.

"This commitment begins with asking what we can do, but also what we need to stop doing."

Appeal to end economic colonialism

The pontiff highlighted that conflicts, natural disasters and extreme poverty are among the most "visible" causes of migration and that many are fleeing "poverty, fear or desperation".

For this reason, the pope asked to "make every effort to halt the arms race, economic colonialism, the plundering of people's resources and the devastation of our common home."

The theme of migration is one of the most important of Francis's pontificate, which started in 2013.

The first trip undertaken by Jorge Bergoglio as head of the Catholic Church, in fact, was to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a main entry point for people fleeing Africa and the Middle East through the Mediterranean route, one of the deadliest in the world.

A new intensification of arrivals is currently being registered in Italy and in other Mediterranean countries.

According to data released by the Italian interior ministry, updated on Thursday (May 11), over 45,100 sea arrivals have already been recorded in 2023, more than four times the number reported in the same period over the two previous years.