JRS: Pope’s visit to Lesbos a symbol of hope for
refugees
(Vatican Radio) In a statement released
ahead of Pope Francis’ visit to the Greek island of Lesbos the Jesuit Refugee
Service (JRS) says the papal visit could not come at a more critical time.
The statement says that the
recent EU deal with Ankara that pushes back refugees and migrants arriving to
the Greek shores to Turkey is in clear violation of international law “and the
principle of non-refoulement or not pushing back people in
need of protection.
"During a time when push
backs are seemingly the solution being put forward by the EU, we hope the
Pope's visit is not just a symbol of hope for refugees, but a concrete push for
the Greek government and other European states to actualise those hopes,"
said Fr Thomas Smolich SJ, JRS International Director.
JRS Greece is present in
Athens and in Lesbos, providing emergency assistance.
In Athens, JRS runs a shelter
for newly arrived or homeless refugees as well as an integration Centre.
In the statement JRS
concludes that it believes that the way forward for Europe is for governments
to: ensure effective access to protection to all refugees regardless of
nationality; not detain and provide special attention to the needs of
particularly at-risk people such as unaccompanied minors in transit; and
consider cases for asylum on an individual basis.
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