‘EU can rise to integration challenge’ says Pope Francis

The migrant crisis engulfing Europe poses a big challenge to its values and traditions, but the continent should be able to integrate newcomers without undermining the safety of its citizens, Pope Francis said.

More than 1m people sought refuge in Europe last year, many of them fleeing violence in Syria and Iraq.

A majority of the migrants are Muslims, and Europeans are worried about how to integrate them, especially since the November 13 attacks by Islamist militants in Paris that killed 130 people.