Lisbon, Sep 14 (IANS): Pope Francis on Monday called for hosting refugees coming from the Middle East to Europe "as they are", attributing the wave of migration to the "bad and unjust socioeconomic system" in the world.

In an extensive interview with Portugal's Radio Renascenca, the Pope also expressed concerns about the lack of youth employment in Europe, reports Efe.

However, the pontiff warned about the infiltration of terrorism, explaining that "the truth is that just 400-km from Sicily there is an incredibly cruel terrorist group. So there is a danger of infiltration, this is true."

"Welcoming, welcoming people, and welcoming them as they are. I am the son of emigrants and I belong to the emigration of 1929. There was no xenophobia in Argentina," the pope said.

"I know about migration! And then came the migrations of the Second World War, especially from central Europe, many Poles, Slovaks, Croatians, Slovenians and also Syrians and Lebanese. And we always got along over there," he added.