WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — According to European Commission estimates, over 500,000 migrants have arrived in the European Union since the beginning of 2015 fleeing violence primarily in the Middle East.
“You [Pope Francis] remind us that ‘the Lord’s most powerful message’ is mercy,” Obama said in a welcoming ceremony for the pontiff. “That means welcoming the stranger with empathy and a truly open heart – from the refugee who flees war torn lands, to the immigrant who leaves home in search of a better life.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry announced on Sunday that the United States would take in an additional 10,000 refugees next year for a total of 85,000 in 2016 and would raise the total number to 100,000 in 2017.
President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed during a phone call on Tuesday that each EU member state should take in an equitable portion of migrants to solve the worsening refugee crisis.
