Thousands of refugees and migrants have fled war-torn Syria for Europe’s borders. Many have taken boats and risked their lives to reach land and the accelerating circumstances have been mishandled by the government.
CNN reports that more than 1,000 men, women and children have started to walk from Budapest to Austria on foot. The distance from Budapest to Vienna is 155 miles. Hungary’s Keleti train station has been an unofficial holding place for refugees arriving in the country while politicians are unsure of what to do.
Despite the widespread negligence, witnessing citizens have handed out food and water to passing migrants, and the Hungarian government has sent 100 buses to transport the travelling people from the roadway and Budapest’s station to Austria.
Austrian and German officials, as well as UK’s David Cameron, have agreed to allow thousands of Syrian migrants into their countries. CNN reported as of Friday, Sept. 4, over 1,000 people remain at Keleti station.
Migrants passing from Serbia into Hungary have reported poor treatment from Hungarian authorities. Many refugees fear being sent to a nearby holding camp, and some have refused to accept food and water from authorities in protest.
After more than four years of war, 11 million Syrians have been displaced. This reality, underlying the current migrant crisis, is now surfacing in the media.
A devastating photograph of drowned three-year-old, Aylan Kurdi was released, showing him face down on a Turkish shore after his family attempted to reach Greece. This has prompted Western nations to discuss the “collective failure” and mishandling of the refugees leaving the Middle East.
With approximately 4 million Syrians forced out of their country, Western governments have failed to address the emergency. However, as The Washington Post reports, the Arab’s world’s wealthiest (and closest) neighbors have not accepted any refugees since the crisis has unfolded.
Saudi Arabia, and the Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf, including Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, have not offered protection for any migrants. This is alarming considering their proximity to Syria.
Why are the Gulf States not being pressured to assist in welcoming migrants? With their wealth of resources, these nations could provide exponentially faster relief for exhausted refugees.
While there have been no concrete political decisions made in Hungary regarding the crisis, migrants continue to flood the stations and make their journey towards a more hopeful life.
