Pope says risk that terrorists could sneak into Europe with Mideast refugees
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has warned against the risk that militants could slip into Europe under cover of a huge wave of refugees fleeing war in Syria but also said the migrant crisis could help reawaken the continent’s conscience.
In an interview published on Monday with the Portuguese Catholic broadcaster Radio Renascenca, the pope referred to the risk that Islamic State, which has killed Christians and other minorities in the Middle East, could launch attacks in Europe.
“It’s true, I also want to recognize that, nowadays, territorial security conditions are not the same as they were in other periods (of mass migration),” he said in the interview.
“The truth is that just 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Sicily there is an incredibly cruel terrorist group. So there is a danger of infiltration, this is true.”
Security specialists have said the risk that militants could be smuggled into Europe in this way is small.
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