Repatriation or Remigration? The Unchristian Face of a New Ideology

Dries Van Langenhove received praise from attendees at the recent "Remigration Summit," a controversial event that has drawn mixed reactions across Europe. The former Belgian parliamentarian stated emphatically: "Our primary duty is to our own people. To save the land of our fathers. Our proposal is a clear strategy to preserve our identity as a European population. Only remigration offers a legal and safe way to handle this problem."

The concept of "remigration"—that is, the selective and gradual removal of immigrants—was presented as rational, orderly, and "non-violent." Van Langenhove clarified that the goal is not mass deportation, but rather a targeted policy aimed first at "illegal immigrants posing as political refugees," and second at "immigrants who haven't integrated, who commit crimes, or who reject European values."

This rhetoric, calculated yet deeply ideological, calls for deeper reflection—especially in light of Christian anthropology and Catholic social teaching. It's telling to recall the prophetic words of Pope Leo XIII, who, in his encyclical In Plurimis, spoke strongly against all forms of slavery—not only physical, but also moral and social. "We cannot allow such ideas to rise," he warned. "[...] Among the many miseries of mankind, it is to be greatly deplored that a not insignificant part of the human family has for centuries been subjected to degrading servitude, contrary to what was established by God and by Nature."

According to the Pope, God gave man dominion only over animals—"not over his fellow man." St. Augustine echoed this, saying, "Man, created in God's image, was never meant to rule over other men, but only over the beasts." These teachings affirm the radical equality of all human beings, grounded not in citizenship, ethnicity, or culture, but in the divine image imprinted on every soul.

The language of remigration fundamentally opposes this vision. The idea that some people are unworthy of living in Europe because they fail to assimilate is a subtle but dangerous form of exclusion. It easily crosses into racism. It promotes a view of society as a sealed-off body that preserves itself by rejecting "the other," rather than as an open community capable of renewal through encounter.

Even the notion of a fixed "European identity" is misleading. Europe has always been a crossroads of peoples, cultures, and religions. Its identity has never been static, but shaped through centuries of exchange, migration, and at times, conflict. To freeze it in an idealized past, then exclude those who don't conform, is to fall into the trap of a mythologized identity.

And if the goal is to protect "European values," we must ask: what are these values, if not the dignity of the person, the right to asylum, and the duty to care for the vulnerable? Who has the authority to decide who is "integratable" and who isn't? The Gospel reminds us that we don't choose our neighbor—he is whoever needs our help.

Pope Leo XIII went on to describe the social consequences of sin, writing: "Some, having forgotten our original brotherhood, began to see others as inferior and treat them like beasts born for the yoke." That's exactly what happens today when migrants are reduced to a "problem" or a "threat." No longer seen as people with names and stories, they become flows, numbers, and statistics. This kind of dehumanization is dangerous.

There's also an economic dimension that can't be ignored. Pope Francis has repeatedly denounced the new forms of slavery created by multinational corporations and unregulated capitalism. Millions of migrants work in the most difficult, underpaid, and unprotected sectors—agriculture, construction, domestic care, logistics. Exploited, threatened, and stripped of rights, they are nonetheless essential to the functioning of our economies. This is the hypocrisy of remigration: it calls for expulsion on the one hand, while tolerating exploitation on the other.

Anyone who follows the Gospel cannot remain silent in the face of these contradictions. We cannot accept Christianity being used by movements that preach exclusion, ethnic nationalism, and cultural selfishness. The "MAGA" movement in the United States and the "Remigration Summit" in Europe both promote ideologies that deny the universal brotherhood proclaimed by Christ.

From Rerum Novarum to Fratelli Tutti, Catholic Social Teaching is clear: any form of racism, any policy that discriminates or marginalizes people based on origin, is fundamentally unchristian. It's not enough to appeal to legality, public order, or national security. After all, Hitler made laws too. Apartheid in South Africa was "legal." Justice, as Scripture reminds us, is not merely a matter of law, but of love and mercy.

The Gospel does not ask us to abandon prudence or national sovereignty—but it does insist that we put the human person first. We must never forget that every migrant, every refugee, every foreigner is Christ knocking at our door. As Pope Francis has said: "Every migrant has a face, a story, a name. They are not numbers, they are our brothers and sisters."

Those who promote the ideology of remigration—in the name of culture, tradition, or even religion—betray the spirit of Christianity. They build walls instead of bridges. They sow hatred instead of hope. And they forget that Europe will not be saved by fear or isolation, but by rediscovering the compassion at the heart of its true Christian identity.