After my latest political post, I have to take up this topic once again: How can we let this happen???
Currently, thousands of refugees from war-torn countries are seeking safety in Europe, many of them in Austria, a country well-known for political stability and a high living standard. And how does Austria deal with these often traumatised refugees? Not at all.
The refugee camp at Traiskirchen is bursting at the seams resulting in persons having to sleep on the bare floor – or even outside.
The politicians? Stay silent. Out of fear anything they could do will affect the outcome of the next election? Likely. What they fail – or ignore – to see is that not doing anything at all will quite possibly affect the outcome of the next elections even more. The right-wing parties only have to sit and wait and publish half-truths every now and then and their numbers will rise.
They are rising. At an alarming speed.
How can one of the wealthiest countries in Europe refuse to help those who have lost everything and still look themselves in the mirror each morning?!
Over 4,500 refugees are currently dwelling at Traiskirchen with hundreds more arriving each week. Many of them are unaccompanied minors. Most will have seen or experienced terrible things and are far away from everything that feels familiar.
We let them sleep on the streets instead of opening unused buildings (such as army barracks or – for the time being – schools) to serve as temporary housing until their applications for asylum have been processed.
The hatred toward refugees that is shown in social networks as well as published in national print media is appalling. Persons who should be grateful for never having been in a situation that left them no choice but to leave everything behind and flee their country post the most ridiculous things and aggravating opinions.
How would you feel when after having made the ardous journey to safety, you arrive at a place where people openly show they dispise you?
Walk a mile in that person’s shoes, then tell me how they fit.
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What can we do?
Different organisations are doing their best to alleviate the struggle. If you want to help but don’t know where to start, try the following websites:
- Caritas
- SOS Mitmensch
- Diakonie
- at dm you can donate for the cause – your money will be turned into personal care products which are handed out by Caritas at Traiskirchen
- The website of the Green Party has put together lists of different organisations, depending on how you want to help (donate money, time, offer accomodation)
So far I have only bought one of the baskets at dm but I will certainly contribute some more.
All those spoiled, arrogant Viennese people who do nothing but complain about fake problems all the time should be sent to some village in the middle of Africa for a year. Then they would learn about real problems and they would hopefully shut the f*** up for the rest of their lives. I doubt they would survive in the first place, though. They despise refugees because they don’t know what it means to be a refugee. They take wealth for granted and they will never understand real life outside their little ignorant world.
I’m almost glad I’m not the only one who gets massively angry regarding the current situation. However, it’s not only the Viennese. It’s Austrians – and people from other countries of the EU as well. There is no solidarity, nothing.
And the politicians stay quiet…