YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. The pope and the leaders of the world's Orthodox Christians and the Church of Greece have signed a joint declaration calling on the international community to make the protection of human lives a priority and to extend temporary asylum to those in need, “Armenpress” reports, citing Associated Press.

Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and Archbishop Ieronymos II signed the joint declaration on April 16 during an emotional and highly political visit to the Moria migrant detention center on the Greek island of Lesbos.

The declaration also called on political leaders "to employ every means to ensure that individuals and communities, including Christians, remain in their homelands and enjoy the fundamental right to live in peace and security."

It said the three religious leaders' meeting was "meant to help bring courage and hope to those seeking refuge and to all those who welcome and assist them."

Lesbos has seen hundreds of thousands of people reach its shores trying to get to Europe.

Pope Francis is visiting a detention camp on the Greek island of Lesbos to show support for refugees who are trying to reach northern Europe.

The Moria camp holds more than 3,000 people, some of whom may face deportation to Turkey. Francis said his Greek trip was to witness "the worst humanitarian disaster since the Second World War". Thousands are now stuck on Lesbos after last month's EU-Turkey deal to try to ease the flow of migrants.

The Vatican insists that the Pope's visit is purely humanitarian and religious in nature and should not be seen as a criticism of the deportations.