Pope Francis has blamed the “bad and unjust” global capitalist system for the refugee and migrant crisis that Europe is facing right now – while warning that Islamic State jihadists may take advantage of the massive influx to slip into EU undetected, RT reports.

Calling economic migrants and the flow of refugees fleeing war zones in the wider Middle East and Africa only the “tip of an iceberg” the pontiff highlighted what he believes to be the root cause of the crisis.

“The cause is a bad and unjust socioeconomic system, in everything, in the world,” Pope Francis said in an interview with the Portuguese Catholic broadcaster Radio Renascenca. “ These poor people are fleeing war, hunger, but that is the tip of the iceberg.”

Asked about the challenge of welcoming the refugees and migrants who arrive on the doorsteps of the EU, the pontiff warned that while general attitudes of people regarding the acceptance of foreigners have changed for the worse, a new terrorist threat is also present that was not there before.