Posts on social media claim that Italy began “dumping” migrants into Vatican City after the Pope said that rejecting them would be a sin.

🚨JUST IN: Italy begins dumping migrants at the door of the Vatican City after Pope Francis said it is a “sin” to “reject migrants.” pic.twitter.com/u3fSZpK70Z

— Kma (@KhalidM68103255) November 21, 2024

Verdict: False

There are no credible news reports that state this happened.

Fact Check:

Pope Francis has been outspoken about many contemporary social issues throughout his papacy, including climate change, gay rights and sex changes. Some of the more conservative members of the church have criticized the Vatican leader of having stances that lean too liberal for their tastes. The Pope also spoke about the immigration situation gripping many Western countries. In August 2024, the Pontiff, in one of his weekly audiences in St. Peter’s Square, said it would be a “grave sin” for Europe to not offer aid to migrant vessels.

A post on X claims that Italy started taking advantage of the Pope’s generosity, saying that the country starting “dumping” migrants into Vatican City after hearing the Pope’s arguments. “Italy begins dumping migrants at the door of the Vatican City after Pope Francis said it is a ‘sin’ to ‘reject migrants,'” the post reads in part.

This is unproven, however. There has been no evidence stating that Italy has done this or has made it an official policy. A Google search for legitimate news sources supporting the accusation has turned up empty. (RELATED: No, Elon Musk Did Not Visit Café Disguised As A Homeless Man)

The X post includes a photo of a massive crowd inside St. Peter’s Square, a major landmark in Vatican City. The implication is that all of those people in the crowd are the aforementioned migrants, but this would be false. The picture used is old, as it was taken on June 5, 2013.

This story was first reported by Reuters.