"Figueiredo said he and others in his department are well aware of the economic and security fears governments might have in accepting refugees and immigrants, but that is no excuse to abandon the Christian message of welcoming the stranger."

It's not an "excuse."   They are reasonable concerns based on actual evidence on what has happened in Europe and in the U.S..   They're not baseless"fears."   

What's clear is that Catholic leaders like Figueiredo define "welcoming the stranger" as code for open borders.