Warning against Muslim immigration

Catholic Church leaders in the Czech Republic and Slovakia have reiterated their doubts about accepting Muslim refugees, warning that unregulated migration risked provoking conflict and economic collapse.

“The experience and current situation of countries in Western Europe are a warning to us – this isn’t a problem of the last five years, but of several decades,” said Cardinal Dominik Duka of Prague, president of the Czech Bishops’ Conference. “Migration must be regulated in a way which not only takes account of the good of migrants but also protects the citizens of countries accepting them. The whole history of humanity shows how uncontrolled migration causes violence and conflict, as well as economic and cultural collapse.”

The Dominican cardinal was addressing a conference at Bratislava’s Catholic seminary, attended by politicians from both countries, as well as by Jan Figel, the European Union’s special envoy for religious rights.

Meanwhile, the president of Slovakia’s Bishops’ Conference said Europe had already witnessed “frequent brutal terrorist attacks by adherents of Islam”, adding that he also feared that mass Muslim migration would “fundamentally change our civilisation”.

“The larger the Muslim community, the likelier the violence – in such a situation, it’s legitimate to ask about the nature of the religion these people profess and how beneficial it is to our society,” said Archbishop Stanislav Zvolensky, whose speech was published in full on the website of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference.

Meanwhile, Hungary’s Helsinki Committee announced in February it was suing the centre-right government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the European Court of Human Rights for detaining asylum-seekers in shipping containers and tents in below-zero temperatures. The Catholic Sant’Egidio Community said last week it was “deeply concerned” about Hungary’s plans to tightening asylum laws.