Pope Francis to take 12 refugees to Italy

YEREVAN, APRIL 16, ARMENPRESS. The Vatican has confirmed that 12 Syrian refugees, all of them Muslim, are traveling with the Pope back to Italy from Greece, “Armenpress” reports, citing Associated Press.

The three families, including six children, met with Francis on the tarmac on the island of Lesbos and boarded the plane.

In a statement, the Vatican said Francis wanted to "make a gesture of welcome" to the refugees, who were in camps on the Greek island before the agreement between the EU and Turkey to return migrants came into effect on March 20.

The Vatican will take responsibility for supporting the families. But the Catholic Sant'Egidio community will take care of getting them settled initially.

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.