Convoy of Activists to Help Transport Migrants from Hungary
A large convoy of concerned Austrian and German citizens has set out for Hungary to help transport migrants and refugees as Europe begins to become more proactive in dealing with the humanitarian crisis on and within its borders.
Reuters reports the convoy consists of around 140 cars, station wagons and trucks and has set off from its meeting place at a football stadium in Vienna. The cars are loaded with essentials for the migrants including clothing, sanitation products, food, and water.
The campaign was organized on Facebook by Kurto Wendt. The police in Austria said that people participating may be in violation of human trafficking laws, but did not act to stop the convoy. Police present at the time it departed Vienna were directing traffic and providing security.
It is possible that drivers may be arrested or harassed by the police in Hungary, which has tried to stop the flow of migrants and herded thousands into camps. At the same time, Hungary has been unable to stop the flow of migrants over its borders, and in one instance, as thousands marched from Budapest to Germany, the government decided the best option would be to provide buses so that the masses of people did not obstruct highways and bridges.
Wendt said that after all difficulties the migrants have been through, including hunger, war, and exhaustion, the threat of arrest was hardly anything.
The convoy's departure comes on the same day that Pope Francis has urged all Europe's Roman Catholic institutions including churches, parishes, monasteries and other organizations to open their arms to migrants.
The Vatican itself will host some Syrian families and Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila and the leader of the government of Scotland said they will also open their private residences to migrants.
