Pope Francis has described the influx of migrants into Europe as an "Arab invasion'' that could bring about positive changes to the continent, enhancing it.
Pope Francis was giving a speech to a French Christian group last week when he reflected on Europe's history of migration and the positive impact it has had on its culture today, according to Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.
"Today we can talk of Arab invasion. It is a social fact,'' he told his audience on Thursday.
He went on to explain that the arrival of migrants, predominantly from Syria and Iraq, will help Europe in the future by making it more multi-cultural, Bloomberg reported.
The pontiff added that the present situation faced by Europe should be seen from a wider perspective "in time and impact" as he insisted that this continent will "go forward and find itself enhanced by the exchange among cultures.''
"How many invasions has Europe experienced in the course of its history! But it's always been able to overcome them and move forward, finding itself complemented and improved by cultural exchange they brought about.''
He declared that the continent "can bring about a certain unity to the world.''
As of last year, the number of Syrians seeking asylum in Europe doubled to 362,800 while the number of Iraqis jumped to 121,500, the European Commission said Friday. Huge number of migrants and asylum seekers mostly from Africa are also entering Europe.
The seemingly endless streams of people have led to tension among the 28 nations in the continent.
Some political leaders expressed belief the newcomers should be seen as a new resource.
The news comes as Greek's Prime Minister Alexis Tsiparas accused Austria and other Balkan countries of "ruining Europe'' by imposing border restrictions, which have been designed to try and slow the flow of migrants heading north from Greece.
Currently, some 30, 000 migrants are stranded in Greece, waiting for Macedonia to reopen its border so they can continue their northward trek, mostly to Germany, the Daily Mail reported.
"What those countries agreed on and decided goes against all of the rules and against the whole of Europe and we regard it as unfriendly,'' Tsipras told Germany's mass-selling Bild newspaper in an interview published Saturday.
