Cyprus: pope will transfer migrants to Italy after visit
ABC News
Cyprus' government spokesman says Pope Francis is arranging to transfer a number of migrants to Italy after he concludes his three-day visit to the east Mediterranean island nation early next month
NICOSIA, Cyprus -- Pope Francis is arranging to transfer a number of migrants to Italy from the east Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, where he is opening a three-day visit next week, a Cypriot government official said on Thursday.
Government spokesman Marios Pelekanos told The Associated Press the Vatican is now making the arrangements with Cypriot authorities. There are no specifics yet as to how many migrants will leave the island or about the logistics of their trip since the pontiff will travel to Greece immediately after his Cyprus visit.
The Vatican spokesman didn’t immediately respond when asked to confirm the pope would indeed bring migrants back to Italy or was otherwise arranging for their travel off Cyprus.
The ITA Airbus 320 that is bringing the pope and Vatican delegation from Rome to Nicosia on Dec. 2 will not travel onto Greece on the second leg of the trip, according to the ITA press office. That could suggest that any transfer of migrants from Cyprus to Rome could actually occur without the pope on board, since he is to travel on to the Greek capital of Athens on Dec. 4 aboard a different aircraft.
