Jordan’s Queen Rania visits Lesbos refugee camp

By Vasiliki Mitsinoutou

ATHENS

Queen Rania of Jordan visited the island of Lesbos Monday at the invitation of humanitarian group the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Rania’s visit follows similar appearances on the island by Pope Francis, UN goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie, and actress Susan Sarandon to raise awareness about the plight of Syrian refugees.

Lesbos is a northern Aegean island that has received the majority of the refugee population crossing the sea from Turkey to Greece. According to UN figures, some 1 million people have reached Greece by sea since the beginning of 2015.

During her two-hour visit at the Kara Tepe camp, which operates under the Lesbos Municipality and the IRC, the 45-year-old Jordanian queen spent time with female refugees and children.

Speaking afterwards, Rania called the refugee situation “an exceptional crisis that requires an exceptional response” and urged international support for humanitarian agencies such as the International Rescue Committee and the UN’s refugee agency, the UNHCR.

“Just being here today made me realize how over-stretched and under-resourced they are,” she said.

Referring to last month’s EU-Turkey deal, she said, “It's absolutely crucial for us to look for legal alternatives and more safe and effective pathways to Europe and areas of safety.”

The deal came after the closure of borders along the Balkan migrant route in March. As a result, more than 50,000 people, according to Greek authorities, most fleeing warzones, are now stuck inside the country.

She also warned, “The deep concern is that many of the refugees... will now start to seek more dangerous routes.”

There are already fears of a terrible shipwreck in the Mediterranean, according to the UNHCR. UN interviewers of survivors say this could be one of the worst migrant tragedies in the last 12 months, as 500 people may have lost their lives at an unknown location between Libya and Italy as part of an alternative route.

Rania has been actively campaigning on the refugee crisis over the last two years. Jordan, a country of 9.5 million inhabitants, currently hosts nearly 643,000 refugees according to UN data, and the country has sought the assistance of the international community.