Policymakers abroad: on Immigration
Pope Francis:
It's not Christian to build a wall on US-Mexican border
Pope Francis declared that Donald Trump is "not Christian" if he wants to address illegal immigration only by building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump fired back ferociously, saying it was "disgraceful" for a religious leader to question a
person's faith.The rare back-and-forth between pontiff and presidential candidate underscored the popular pope's willingness to needle U.S. politicians on hot-button issues. Francis' comments came hours after he concluded a visit to Mexico, where he
prayed at the border for people who died trying to reach the U.S. He was asked what he thought of Trump's campaign pledge to build a wall along the entire length of the border. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not
building bridges, is not Christian," he said. While Francis said he would "give the benefit of the doubt" because he had not heard Trump's border plans independently, he added, "I say only that this man is not a Christian if he has said things like that.
Source: Japan Today on Foreign Influence, by N. Winfield and J. Pace
Feb 19, 2016
Pope Francis:
We should receive asylum-seekers, not reject them
The pope said populists were "creating psychosis" on the issue of immigration, even as aging societies like Europe faced "a great demographic winter" and needed more immigrants. Without immigration, he added, Europe "will become empty."He spoke at
length about immigration, a controversial issue in Europe as well as the US. The populist Italian government has refused port access to non-government ships that have been rescuing asylum-seekers trying to cross to Italy from Africa in flimsy boats.
"I believe that you cannot reject people who arrive. You have to receive them, help them, look after them, accompany them and then see where to put them, but throughout all of Europe," Francis said.
"Some governments are working on it, and people have to be settled in the best possible way, but creating psychosis is not the cure," he added. "Populism does not resolve things. What resolves things is acceptance, study, prudence."
Source: Reuters on 2018 Foreign Influences
Jun 20, 2018
Pope Francis:
Opposes border wall between US and Mexico
Trump and Pope Francis have made no effort to hide their shared enmity over the past few years. During the presidential campaign, the Pope--who is revered for his deep humility and sincere affinity for the poor and downtrodden--was cutting about Trump's
plan to build a border wall with Mexico. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel," Francis said in February 2016.Trump fired back via Facebook: "If and
when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS's ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President because this would not have happened.
ISIS would have been eradicated unlike what is happening now with our all talk, no action politicians."
Trump added, huffily, "No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man's religion or faith."
Source: Vox.com on 2020 Foreign Influences, "Trump-Pope Meeting"
May 24, 2017
Vladimir Putin:
Praised Trump for stopping migrants and drugs from Mexico
Mr. Putin branded Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to admit more than 1m refugees to Germany, mainly from war-ravaged Syria, as a "cardinal mistake". But he praised Donald Trump for trying to stop the flow of migrants and drugs from
Mexico. "This liberal idea presupposes that nothing needs to be done. That migrants can kill, plunder and rape with impunity because their rights as migrants have to be protected."
Source: Financial Times on Foreign Influencers
Jun 27, 2019
Vladimir Putin:
Resisted calls for visa requirements for migrant workers
On immigration, however, Putin is, in practice, more liberal than most European leaders. He has consistently resisted calls to impose visa requirements on Central Asian countries, an important source of migrant labor. Given Russia's shrinking
working-age population and shortage of manual workers, Putin isn't about to stem that flow, even though Central Asians are Muslims--the kind of immigrants Merkel's opponents, including Trump, distrust and fear the most.
Source: The Moscow Times on Foreign Influencers
Jun 28, 2019
Vladimir Putin:
Reduced time for Russian passports for some occupations
Russia enacted a law cutting from three years down to one year a period required for foreign nationals working on certain occupations to apply for a Russian passport. The list of the occupations opening the fast lane to
Russian citizenship includes 135 positions (up from 74 before), such as medical and veterinary professions, school teaching, journalism and even, for some reason, entomology.
Source: Fair Planet blog on Foreign Influencers
Jul 8, 2020
Liz Truss:
Don't let asylum seekers to work, makes UK a magnet
POLICY: Oppose asylum seekers being allowed to workDATE & PLATFORM: August 25, leadership hustings in Norwich
SHE SAID WHAT?
The reason why we don't enable asylum seekers to work is it creates even more of a magnet to come to the United Kingdom … I'm determined to make sure that we don't become a magnet.
Source: Politico blog "Truss manifesto" on Foreign Influences
Sep 1, 2022
Rishi Sunak:
The UK has lost control of its borders
Former finance minister Rishi Sunak announced his plans to tackle illegal immigration in a nearly 5-minute video posted on Twitter, during which he said that the UK had lost control of its borders.
The measures he proposes include a cap set annually by the UK parliament on "number of refugees we accept each year via safe and legal routes, amendable in the face of emergencies."
Source: CNN "Final candidates" on Foreign Influences
Jul 24, 2022
Pope Francis:
Grave sin not to offer aid to migrants
Pope Francis strongly decried the treatment of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to enter Europe, saying it was a "grave sin" not to offer aid to migrant vessels. "There are those who work systematically and with every means to reject migrants,"
the pontiff said. "And this, when done with conscience and responsibility, is a grave sin," he said.The pope has spoken frequently about the treatment of migrants over his 11-year papacy.
Migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea in simple crafts or home-made dinghies from northern Africa and the Middle East have been the subject of intense debate across Europe over the past decade.
In recent weeks, the pope had been offering a series
of reflections about Catholic spiritual matters in his weekly audiences. The pope said he was postponing that series this week, to consider "people who are crossing seas and deserts to find a place where they can live in peace and security".
Source: Reuters.com on Foreign Influences on 2024 Presidential race
Aug 28, 2024
Page last updated: Sep 29, 2024