Greek archbishop urges EU action to address refugee crisis

Greek Archbishop Ieronymos on Wednesday called on European leaders to assume a more active role in tackling the bloc’s refugee crisis, which has put a particular strain on Greece in view of its position on the European Union’s southeastern external border.

“Europe must assume its responsibilities as regards the refugee problem and contribute to tackling the causes that provoked it,” the archbishop said on a visit to Berlin, noting that “the Western world has responsibilities for the appearance of the refugee problem.”

Ieronymos also expressed concerns about the possibility of a large number of refugees becoming trapped in the Balkans, a development that would turn the region into a “powder keg.”