You cannot fail to be moved by the shocking images of desperate refugees clinging to flimsy dinghies in the dark, families corralled in miserable Third World-type camps and even worse – tiny children’s bodies washing ashore in the Mediterranean.
If there’s anything worse than seeing this mass suffering unfolding in front of our eyes, it’s the cold indifference to their pitiful plight from many European governments…including our own.
When weary refugees turned up at Calais, authorities didn’t offer them asylum, they built bigger fences to keep them out. When they trudged into Hungary they were not met with the hand of compassion, but the iron fist of police batons.
But amidst all the misery, there’s one thing that will restore your faith in humanity – it’s the response of everyday people across Europe to their fellow man.
We’ve already see football fans take the lead with banners appearing at matches in England, Scotland and Germany saying ‘Refugees Welcome’.
But as the downtrodden diaspora arrived in European cities, they were greeted by incredible scenes by normal people.
Germans in Munich lined up at the city’s railway station to applaud people arriving on trains, with children handing out sweets to fellow youngsters…
"Welcome to Germany" – People applaud & greet migrants as they arrive in Munich http://t.co/3Wk9ryrzib http://t.co/0rZqjFSFef
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 5, 2015
When asked who the toys are for, this little girl replied “for the children”…
Germans waiting to give toys to refugee children…heartwarming pic.twitter.com/dcCASsAW7E
— jenny hill (@jennyhillBBC) September 5, 2015
Incredible stuff…
There were similar scenes in Austria as locals turned out to offer food and water to refugees arriving in the country…
That Munich applause is infectious. People of Nickelsdorf in Austria now clapping latest bus arrivals. pic.twitter.com/18vUXpHJwA
— Matthew Price (@_Matthew_Price) September 5, 2015
https://twitter.com/ronbrown01/status/640163575152160768
This poignant poster which reads ‘you are safe’ was pinned up by the City of Vienna…
Current emotional state: sobbing like a baby at this. Vienna, you are wonderful. pic.twitter.com/KwlwXj8q0m
— bamelie (@spacegirlgail) September 6, 2015
Despite the Hungarian Government’s hardline stance on people fleeing war and persecution, everyday Hungarians defiantly offered their help…
In #Hungary, volunteers defy gov´t to welcome #refugees to Europe: http://t.co/jWp7StGwCS #Budapest #RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/khUwPXs91U
— Saulo Corona (@saulocorona) September 5, 2015
The response from British people to the growing refugee crisis has been incredible too. Thousands of people have organised across Facebook to organise collections of aid up and down the country and driving it over to help refugees stranded in camps in Calais.
