A Catholic parish priest in
the Liguria town of Ventimiglia has taken in some 70 migrants
whom police cleared earlier on Monday from a makeshift camp near
the French border on Monday.
The operation had been ordered by Ventimiglia Mayor Enrico
Ioculano for reasons of public hygiene and security.
"They will stay here until a solution has been found," said
Father Francesco Marcoaldi.
Also on Friday, Ventimiglia Bishop Antonio Suetta called on
fellow priests in the diocese to follow this example.
"I issue a call to diocese priests for them to follow
Father Francesco's example and open the doors of their
parishes," he said.
The bishop is in talks with Imperia provincial authorities
to negotiate permission to set up a tent camp in the parking lot
of a seminary located in the nearby town of Bordighera.
It will take some time to get permission, the bishop said.
"This why I urge priests to open their parishes," he said.
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