Vatican – Monsignor Giancarlo Perego, the Director of the Migrant’s Foundation on Tuesday in Vatican called for a “Marshall Plan for Africa’’.
Perogo, who was briefing newsmen at the Vatican, said that huge international action was needed and the question of a “Marshall Plan for Africa’’ had been discussed more than once.
Perego said that such a plan would give African countries the much needed tools for the kind of development the Vatican church had always been working toward.
He insisted that there was an urgent need for a leap forward in terms of welcoming asylum seekers, not just in Italy but throughout Europe.
Perego said the plan for migrants involving the government, regions and municipalities had turned out to be uneven and inconsistent with much improvisation and discretion.
He said that it was important to go back to the plan and ensure that all municipalities did their bit toward migrant reception.
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“There should also be a focus on increasing the number of regional committees processing requests for international protection.
“Things were taking far too long, between one and two years,’’ he said.
Perego said that there should also be a Europe-wide push to overcome the shortcomings of the Dublin Regulation and ensure that the free circulation of refugees became a key component of the new European asylum framework.
“United action by all bodies ecclesiastical, social, voluntary and municipal could make Italy a key testing ground for the management of asylum seekers, given the resources fielded by the government and Europe.
Perego warned that it was important to make sure ideology and exploitation of serious situations on a political level did not degenerate into an inability to address the crucial issue of the protection of asylum rights. (AGI/NAN)