I have been overwhelmed with admiration for the Syrians with a single-minded goal to get to welcoming northern European countries. Mothers, fathers, children and young men fleeing regime bombs and terrorists, thought their worries were over when they arrived on the shores of Greece. Little did they know they were just beginning!
They headed to the border with Macedonia only to be greeted with riot police firing teargas and smoke grenades. Finally, they were given three days to cross into Serbia. En route many were robbed at gunpoint depriving them of identity documents and money. Several have been quoted as saying if they knew in advance they would encounter such humiliating treatment, they would have stayed under the bombs. Once in Belgrade, hundreds sleep in parks where tents have been erected for them before continuing on to Hungary. The Serbian authorities have made an effort to make them feel welcome providing a water-truck so that they can wash and shave. Ordinary folk have invited exhausted families to spend a night in their own homes.
Just one more country to go before they could take short train rides to their final destinations—Austria and Germany. Imagine their relief on arrival at the main train station in Budapest where they queued to buy tickets. But they would never be used because Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s right-wing government doesn’t recognize their refugee status—Orban refers to them as illegal migrants threatening Europe’s Christian identity.
Orban’s final solution was to force them into crammed substandard camps enclosed by barbed wire ostensibly for processing under EU rules, suspended by Austria and Germany. Hundreds have cut the wire and escaped the guards and choking from teargas.
Of course, the refugees fear those camps when the premier has recommended they be placed in internment work camps. He has talked about reintroducing the death penalty in contravention of the EU’s human rights charter—and the country’s parliament has already drafted harsh laws applicable to “migrants” refusing to cooperate with authorities. Plus, Hungary is building a wall along its border with Serbia.
But this isn’t the 1940s and war-weary Syrians were in no mood to follow police instructions like sheep rounded up into pens. Most who had boarded a train believing it was headed for Austria until it stopped in the vicinity of a camp, refused to get off for over 24-hours, despite sweltering heat, thirst and hunger. A woman clutching her baby threw herself onto the tracks. Bottled water delivered by police was thrown back in their faces. They wanted nothing from Hungary. The government positioned a freight train to block the view of TV cameras. In the meantime, thousands were still gathered outside and underneath the train station hoping against hope that the government would change its mind to let them board trains. But Orban railed at Germany for its welcome and accused Europe of being gripped by madness.
Then a miracle occurred; some of the young self-ascribed leaders picked up megaphones and yelled at the crowd to get up, pack up and get ready to embark on a 100-mile march to Austria. Over a thousand heeded the call and began an exodus not seen since WWII.
The sight of a long line of humanity—babies in arms, toddlers, disabled in wheelchairs, a man with one leg, pregnant women, led by young T-shirted bucks making victory signs—was inspiring. It spoke to me that Syrians would not be cowed, would not be treated like lesser humans or criminals. On they trudged through the rain and the dark carrying their meager belongings.
The “Let my people go”—type scenario was terrible PR for Hungary, especially when many thousands of Hungarians were themselves refugees when the Soviet Red Army arrived following the 1956 Hungarian revolution against the Moscow-controlled government. All doors were opened for them then.
The sheer numbers and the watching cameras thwarted the government’s plan to lock them up, and so, fleets of buses were sent to carry them onwards to the Austrian border. That was a victory for the human spirit. They defied a government and were triumphant.
Home and dry at last, Austrians gathered to welcome them with applause and a hot meal. Over a thousand Austrian car owners resolved to drive into Hungary to give a lift to the next wave after Budapest announced there would be no more buses. Those who choose to take waiting trains to Munich were greeted by cheering volunteers before being bused to temporary accommodations where they receive three meals a day and 183 Euros a month.
The way ahead is strewn with opportunity. Far from being a burden, they showed the world how determined they are to succeed against all odds. They are doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, students, electricians, carpenters; many are multi-lingual. Austria, Germany and Sweden are privileged to have them.
Linda S. Heard is a British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.
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Fiercely proud Syrian refugees
Posted on September 10, 2015 by Linda S. Heard
I have been overwhelmed with admiration for the Syrians with a single-minded goal to get to welcoming northern European countries. Mothers, fathers, children and young men fleeing regime bombs and terrorists, thought their worries were over when they arrived on the shores of Greece. Little did they know they were just beginning!
They headed to the border with Macedonia only to be greeted with riot police firing teargas and smoke grenades. Finally, they were given three days to cross into Serbia. En route many were robbed at gunpoint depriving them of identity documents and money. Several have been quoted as saying if they knew in advance they would encounter such humiliating treatment, they would have stayed under the bombs. Once in Belgrade, hundreds sleep in parks where tents have been erected for them before continuing on to Hungary. The Serbian authorities have made an effort to make them feel welcome providing a water-truck so that they can wash and shave. Ordinary folk have invited exhausted families to spend a night in their own homes.
Just one more country to go before they could take short train rides to their final destinations—Austria and Germany. Imagine their relief on arrival at the main train station in Budapest where they queued to buy tickets. But they would never be used because Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s right-wing government doesn’t recognize their refugee status—Orban refers to them as illegal migrants threatening Europe’s Christian identity.
Orban’s final solution was to force them into crammed substandard camps enclosed by barbed wire ostensibly for processing under EU rules, suspended by Austria and Germany. Hundreds have cut the wire and escaped the guards and choking from teargas.
Of course, the refugees fear those camps when the premier has recommended they be placed in internment work camps. He has talked about reintroducing the death penalty in contravention of the EU’s human rights charter—and the country’s parliament has already drafted harsh laws applicable to “migrants” refusing to cooperate with authorities. Plus, Hungary is building a wall along its border with Serbia.
But this isn’t the 1940s and war-weary Syrians were in no mood to follow police instructions like sheep rounded up into pens. Most who had boarded a train believing it was headed for Austria until it stopped in the vicinity of a camp, refused to get off for over 24-hours, despite sweltering heat, thirst and hunger. A woman clutching her baby threw herself onto the tracks. Bottled water delivered by police was thrown back in their faces. They wanted nothing from Hungary. The government positioned a freight train to block the view of TV cameras. In the meantime, thousands were still gathered outside and underneath the train station hoping against hope that the government would change its mind to let them board trains. But Orban railed at Germany for its welcome and accused Europe of being gripped by madness.
Then a miracle occurred; some of the young self-ascribed leaders picked up megaphones and yelled at the crowd to get up, pack up and get ready to embark on a 100-mile march to Austria. Over a thousand heeded the call and began an exodus not seen since WWII.
The sight of a long line of humanity—babies in arms, toddlers, disabled in wheelchairs, a man with one leg, pregnant women, led by young T-shirted bucks making victory signs—was inspiring. It spoke to me that Syrians would not be cowed, would not be treated like lesser humans or criminals. On they trudged through the rain and the dark carrying their meager belongings.
The “Let my people go”—type scenario was terrible PR for Hungary, especially when many thousands of Hungarians were themselves refugees when the Soviet Red Army arrived following the 1956 Hungarian revolution against the Moscow-controlled government. All doors were opened for them then.
The sheer numbers and the watching cameras thwarted the government’s plan to lock them up, and so, fleets of buses were sent to carry them onwards to the Austrian border. That was a victory for the human spirit. They defied a government and were triumphant.
Home and dry at last, Austrians gathered to welcome them with applause and a hot meal. Over a thousand Austrian car owners resolved to drive into Hungary to give a lift to the next wave after Budapest announced there would be no more buses. Those who choose to take waiting trains to Munich were greeted by cheering volunteers before being bused to temporary accommodations where they receive three meals a day and 183 Euros a month.
The way ahead is strewn with opportunity. Far from being a burden, they showed the world how determined they are to succeed against all odds. They are doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, students, electricians, carpenters; many are multi-lingual. Austria, Germany and Sweden are privileged to have them.
Linda S. Heard is a British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.