April 16, 2016 — Pope Francis visits Lesbos to meet with some of the 4,000 refugees living in limbo on the island and recognize the compassion shown by many of the people on the island. As a gesture of welcome, the Pope has relocated 12 Syrian refugees from camps on Lesbos.
Jane Waite, Deputy Director of International Rescue Committee in Greece said:
“The much anticipated visit of Pope Francis to Lesbos has drawn the world’s attention to the plight of the 53,000 refugees stranded in Greece. Pope Francis has the power to shape both political and public opinion, and has been a constant advocate for refugees at a time when hard-won refugee rights in international law are under threat.
“Nearly 9 in 10 of the men, women, boys and girls stuck in limbo in Lesbos are fleeing war torn countries – they have lost loved ones, their homes, every resemblance of the life they once enjoyed. We hope the Pope’s message of solidarity will have an impact on the hearts and minds of European citizens and policy-makers, and help bring about much needed change that will allow safe routes into Europe for those in desperate need of sanctuary.
The Pope has sent a strong message in relocating 12 people, including women and children, from three Syrian families from the camps on Lesbos. These refugees were randomly selected and are the very few lucky ones. For the tens of thousands that remain in Greece their life in limbo continues, in conditions that IRC teams are doing their upmost to make more bearable as the indefinite wait for relocation continues.
The EU has agreed to the relocation of 6,000 refugees per month. Yet in the four weeks since the EU-Turkey agreement came into force, only 46 others have been given safe passage into Europe. The relocation process simply must be accelerated, especially for vulnerable refugees. There are 950 people in Kara Tepe camp on Lesbos who have specific and severe conditions; wheelchair users, children suffering from trauma and people with learning difficulties and chronic illnesses such as diabetes. The IRC encourages that their additional and specific needs are duly considered in the relocation process.
The IRC hopes that today marks a shift and acceleration in ensuring those fleeing war can be given safe and legal means to begin to rebuild their lives. The people of Lesbos are doing all they can to welcome refugees, but they cannot continue to respond to the crisis with so little international support.”
The International Rescue Committee has been responding to the needs of refugees in Greece since last summer. In Lesbos, the IRC are working in Kara Tepe camp which has so far received 966 of the most vulnerable people from the closed facility in Moria – pregnant women, women travelling with young children, people with chronic illnesses and the disabled. IRC protection teams support people on an individual basis; aiding them to access medical treatment, providing counselling and distributing much need items such as buggies, wheelchairs and walking canes.
The IRC has paved the Kara Tepe site, installed lighting for safety at night and laid a wheelchair ramp to improve access. IRC built showers, latrines and places to wash clothes, making the camp more habitable for refugees who will now stay for longer periods of time, while the IRC hygiene kiosk provides items such as toothpaste, diapers, fabric detergent and sanitary products for anyone who needs.