On the Other Side

Epilogue

The Weekly Diem

"Today marks one year since the Röszke stampede in Hungary"

By: Joanne Gilford

It's been a year since the horrific events that occurred at Röszke refugee camp. Because of the use of teargas, 16 people were injured whilst 4 people lost their lives. One of them was a 14-year-old Syrian girl named Jawl, also known as "the girl with the birthmark who changed the world."

All over the world, people have been commemorating her death by placing flowers and quotes from her favourite book "Around the World in 80 Days" by Jules Verne at various landmarks. Hundreds have even come to Röszke, covering the wire fences of the refugee camp with coloured notes filled with the utmost sorrow and grief.

"I miss my sister a lot, and I feel guilty that I couldn't bring her to Germany," he told us, "But I am thankful for everyone who has preserved her memory."

A month after her death, Najid, her now 13-year-old brother made his way to Germany with his new foster parents, Abal and Irfan, who were also deeply affected by her death.

"She was part of the family, and now, she's gone..." Irfan told us in an interview.

Even though a year has passed since the tragic event, one question remains in the minds of many: was this preventable, and what have the governments of the world done to help? Since March of 2016, many of the countries along the Balkan route, that Jawl and Najid crossed, have since been closed or given tighter regulations. Macedonia, Croatia, and Slovenia have completely closed their borders, whilst Hungary, Austria and Serbia tightened their borders and security, making it even more difficult for refugees to enter them legally[67]. This has made hundreds of thousands of refugees stuck in Greece and in-between borders with no way of escaping.

Yes, Europe has been overwhelmed with the massive number of people who are fleeing war and conflict, and yes, many European countries have welcomed refugees with open arms, but what's happening now is that governments are turning a blind eye to the people who desperately need their help. Closing the borders and making it more difficult for refugees to restart their lives legally is putting them at tremendous risks, at the hands of smugglers, the weather, and xenophobes. Prevention has not worked. It's been over 9 months since the borders have begun closing and people are still coming in their thousands, making the perilous journey through these countries. So, I beg the world's leaders to refocus, start cooperating with the UN and begin negotiating long-term solutions to manage the refugee crisis. Without your help, innocent people will die. Without cooperation and management, more people like Jawl will be lost.

We are in the midst of writing history and we can either be the Europe that gave a helping hand or the Europe that turned its back on those in need. It's time to decide now. It's time to decide WHAT SIDE WE ARE ON, before it's too late.

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[67] It's very easy to find all the countries that have closed or tightened their borders online, however I have added a few websites that support this just in case of doubt. 

Works Cited

[67] "Balkan Countries Shut Borders To Migrants And Refugees." World Post, Huffington Post, 9 Mar. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/balkan-countries-shut-borders_us_56e02f11e4b0b25c91803604. Accessed 23 Jan. 2017.

[67] Kingsley, Patrick. "Balkan countries shut borders as attention turns to new refugee routes." The Guardian, 9 Mar. 2016, www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/09/balkans-refugee-route-closed-say-european-leaders. Accessed 23 Jan. 2017.