In Singapore, on the last leg of his Asian tour, Pope Francis cautiously addressed the issue of the living conditions of the many migrants who keep the economy of the “Switzerland of Asia” running.
With our special correspondent in Singapore, Camille Dalmas
A brutal change of scenery for Pope Francis, who passed through East Timor in just a few hours on Wednesdayone of Asia’s poorest countries, to the restrained, air-conditioned atmosphere of the wealthy city-state of Singapore. In the archipelago, where religions have their place but are closely monitored by the government, the pontiff walked on eggshells this morning as he addressed the country’s authorities from the National University of Singapore.
Conditions sociales
While three people were executed by the Singaporean justice system in 2024, according to Amnesty International, the Pope, an ardent opponent of the death penalty, remained silent on this issue. He preferred to focus his intervention on the often very precarious social conditions of migrant workers. The latter, who are estimated to number more than a million in Singapore, work as domestic workers or in construction and most often come from India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines.
« Special attention ” for the poor
- RFI
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