Leading stars Maisie Williams, Lena Headey and Liam Cunningham from the popular HBO TV series " Game of Thrones " visited refugees stranded in Greek camps this week, criticizing European leaders for failing to adequately address the ongoing crisis.
"Where is the humanity that makes it acceptable for them to languish in refugee camps – in Europe?" Williams, who plays Arya Stark in the series, said, according to People .
"This is a man-made crisis. 57,000 stranded in Greece. Refugee camps in Europe? Is this truly the standard EU leaders want to set as the way to respond to the global refugee crisis?" Cunningham, who plays Davos Seaworth, said.
The GoT stars' made the visit in conjunction with the International Rescue Committee in an effort to urge EU leaders to address the issue in a more adequate manner. Under the EU-Turkey agreement, refugees arriving in Greece must apply for asylum before continuing onward into Europe. This process is often long and drawn out, leaving refugees stranded in subpar conditions.
Also emphasizing the common humanity of refugees, the actors pointed out the seemingly obvious reality that refugees are just ordinary people.
"There are [refugees] in these camps who are oncologists, judges, successful people who’ve had everything taken away from them," Cunningham said, according to AP .
"These smart, hardworking people want to go home... They want to return to their communities and to their neighborhoods. They want their children to continue their education. They want to continue their university and they are stuck. They're stuck," Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister, said. "And they're unbelievably sad. Understandably. We can do better for them. We must do better for them."
Heady said she was profoundly affected by her experience meeting with the refugees.
"It was a life-changing trip to see first-hand the enormity of the loss of humanity that’s at stake. These people can and want to contribute to the world. They are smart with education and skills and we’re not allowing them to. We just stop them living. It can’t continue," she said.
Cunningham didn't mince his words, targeting EU leaders head on with his criticism.
"There is a desire [by politicians] not to have these people here. They won’t come out and say it. They won’t be honest about it. So they do the old foot-dragging, bureaucratic foot-dragging," he said. "I’d love to grab those people by the back of the neck and take them to the camps and say: ‘Look what you’ve done.’ ... They are right-wing appalling human beings."
"I was angry before but when you meet these beautiful people who are our children, our brothers, our sisters and you see what’s been done to them. It’s shameful."
This isn't the first time GoT stars have voiced their solidarity with refugees. In March, all three of the actors who visited Greece, along with numerous co-stars, released an online video encouraging viewers to support the IRC's work addressing the crisis.