Ordinary Europeans organise help for new refugee arrivals

European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker has urged EU member states to accept a compulsory system to share out refugees fleeing war and poverty. “The Europe I want to live in is illustrated by those who want to help,” Juncker said in his first State of his Union address to the European Parliament on Wednesday (September 9). But ordinary Europeans have been welcoming the refugees long before Juncker’s speech. Citizens and organisations are calling for an International Global Action Day in solidarity with the refugees. “The future of Europe is at stake here.” The group asks: “Are we going to have a Europe of barbed wire, walls and fences. Or are we going to have a Europe in which mutual solidarity and empathy are prioritised and in which those arriving can re-build their lives with the dignity, respect and support they deserve?” Uber has been collecting items for donated – free of charge – to deliver them to the Save the Children. Items will be offered for sale in their charity shops across London. I think this is amazing. If you live in a place that has uber, then please help the refugees by donating clothes etc pic.twitter.com/gviy4qVK7g— Emma (@imawesomelike) September 8, 2015 Last weekend, Austrians and Germans drove migrants from Hungary in their private cars . The initiative, launched on the Social Networks prompted accusations of “people smuggling” from Hungarian authorities! Wiener Fluchthelfer.innen kommen frei! Es bleibt beim #refugeeconvoi denn #Fluchthilfe ist legitim http://t.co/RLq4caB0xf— Fluchthelfer.in (@Fluchthelfer_in) September 4, 2015 Around 2,000 people in Hungary are planning to take part in Saturday’s solidarity rally proving not everybody is building fences or kicking refugees. The Facebook Migration aid Hungary group organises collections of food, clothing and coordinates actions to help. The page has attracted more than 30,000 fans. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));Adománylista szeptember 9. szerda (a lista naponta változik):- A Verseny utcai raktárunk, a Keleti és a Nyugati…Posted by Migration Aid on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 Hungarian Telekom has offered refugees free wifi coverage and help charging mobile phones. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));Cégünk a saját eszközeivel segíteni igyekszik. Most, hogy a tranzitzónák helye körvonalazódni látszik, elkezdjük kiépí...Posted by Telekom HU on Monday, September 7, 2015 (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));Hungarians waiting by the highway with food to give to the refugees who will arrive on foot.This is what being a good human being is.Posted by Junayed Ali on Friday, September 4, 2015 The woman above was on the road waiting to welcome those walking with food to eat. France In France, Liberation newspaper gathers citizen initiatives on its website also Slate proposes various ways of helping refugees. The rally not in my name saw 10,000 people gather at Place de la Republique in Paris and in several other French cities. Spain In Spain, Madrid’s new Mayor has pushed to set up a huge flag with the slogan “refugees welcome.” #RefugeesWelcome: El Ayuntamiento expresa su compromiso con los DD HH de los refugiados. http://t.co/BwUIQdt41s pic.twitter.com/dHkwlgBgij— Ayuntamiento Madrid (@MADRID) September 7, 2015 And there are small “solidarity committees” all around the Iberian Peninsula. The Asturias group already has over 10,000 fans. (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));Como podéis ver la Red ha crecido muchísimo. Mil gracias. Para agilizar la gestión del registro, os pedimos que los que…Posted by Red Asturiana de Familias de Acogida de Refugiados on Friday, September 4, 2015 While such groups continue gather momentum, Juncker will deal with the crisis on a EU state level. The European Commission proposes a quota system for the relocation of 120,000 migrants, in addition to the 40,000 it proposed in May. “This has to be done in a compulsory way… 160,000 that’s the number. I hope that this time everyone will be on board. No rhetoric, action is what is needed,” said Juncker. “Winter is approaching, do we really want families sleeping in railway stations, in tents on cold nights?” “Europe has made the mistake in the past of distinguishing between Jews, Christians, Muslims. There is no religion, no belief no philosophy when it comes to refugees.” The Commission is also proposing a list of safe countries, whose citizens’ applications for a visa in the EU will be treated faster and will be most likely rejected. Juncker says it should include EU candidate nations of the western Balkans and Turkey. “The countries on the list of safe countries have to know that if they are taken off the list, they are losing their right to become members of the EU.” Juncker calls on member states to allow asylum seekers to work. “We should do everything to change our nation legisaltion to allow refugees to work from day one when they arrive,” he said.

Ordinary Europeans organise help for new refugee arrivals

European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker has urged EU member states to accept a compulsory system to share out refugees fleeing war and

Read more

Gaza city residents survey destruction after overnight Israeli airstrike

Gaza’s displaced brace for a bleak Eid al‑Adha amid war and soaring prices

Lebanon opens seafront tent camp in Beirut as Israeli strikes displace 1 million

Spain braces for first major heatwave of year, highs up to 45C

Tehran says Strait of Hormuz remains open after confusion

SpaceX lands investment-grade ratings as shares tumble

Extreme heat in Europe: Which countries face the biggest costs?

Polish president strips Zelenskyy of Poland's highest state honour