Pope Leo XIV regularly urges European nations to pursue the “humanitarian” removal of all restrictions on immigration, a position that stands in sharp contrast to the realities of the Pope’s own country, the Vatican.
The leader of the conservative Spanish party VOX, Santiago Abascal, gave the Pope a blunt response when he urged Spain to open its borders further to illegal immigration and the legalisation of migrants.
800 Vatican residents protected by a guard and gendarmerie force of 300
“In fact, I like the immigration policy of Vatican City. If someone enters the country illegally, they risk fines, imprisonment, and a ban on entry. I would like a similar immigration policy for Spain,” Abascal replied after the Pope, at the invitation of Parliament, had been given the opportunity to address the Spanish legislature.
The Vatican has some of the strictest restrictions on immigration and residence in the world. The tiny state maintains a security force consisting of the Swiss Guard and the Gendarmerie Corps, numbering around 300 men in total. They are tasked with protecting a population of just over 800 people.
The inhabitants of the tiny state therefore enjoy a level of security that stands in stark contrast to the reality faced by citizens in European cities, prompting Spanish commentators to describe the Pope as “out of touch” and “naïve”.
The Pope’s visit to Spain concluded on 12 June.