The case of a young boy’s doomed journey has landed as a political bombshell across the Middle East and Europe.Photographs of three-year-old whose body washed up on a Turkish beach galvanised debate about Europe’s refugee crisis
The three-year-old Syrian boy whose death galvanised public opinion and put pressure on European governments to tackle the continent’s refugee crisis has been buried in the town of Kobani alongside his mother and brother.
National newspapers pick up the arguments the day after the images were published of the lifeless little boy washed up on a Turkish beach
And it comes to pass that the photograph of a boy’s body washed up on a Turkish beach has made a difference to the debate about the refugee crisis.
Little was done in Western capitals to stop or mitigate the slow-motion disaster that was befalling Syrian civilians and sending them on the run.
Alexis Tsipras and Yanis Varoufakis shared a vision once, but the double act of the Greek debt drama’s most colourful characters now appears well and truly over.
Abdullah Kurdi, 40, the father of three-year-old Aylan, describes the dramatic moments when the boat he was travelling on with his family suddenly capsized in the Mediterranean. Aylan’s body washed up on a Turkish beach on Wednesday, sparking an international outcry. Kurdi is a Kurdish Syrian who has been in Turkey for three years and previously lived in Damascus. He says he no longer has any desire to continue on to Europe
Thousands of refugees are stranded outside Budapest’s Keleti train station, waiting to be allowed to continue their journey westwards. The Hungarian police allowed people to travel by train to Austria and Germany on Monday, then closed the station on Tuesday. Europe is witnessing apocalyptic conditions, some commentators worry. Others are heartened by local demonstrations of support for the refugees.
As photographs of the young refugee appeared again and again in timelines on social media, a debate broke out about the ethics of sharing such graphic images.
Hundreds of people staged demonstrations outside the main train station in Budapest on Wednesday, chanting “Freedom” as after police blocked refugees and migrants from boarding trains bound for other European countries.
The refugee crisis is symbolic of the political crisis in Europe. To avoid systemic collapse, Europe must return to solidarity and protecting those fleeing war and persecution.
Migrants cross the border into Hungary. Noticias Cuyo/Flickr. All rights reservedFor many years European countries have been warned about the inadequacy of their immigration and asylum systems. Now, with increased refugee arrivals and more frequent tragedies, this system is showing all its weaknesses. The cause of this collapse is not, however, the arrival of refugees in Europe. The real reason is political.
If this photo doesn’t make you care about the refugee crisis, nothing will
Warning: This story contains disturbing images.
Vienna, Austria. 1 September 2015 — A banner is held up by a group welcoming refugees arriving from Syria and Afghanistan at Vienna Railway Station where they plan to stay overnight en route to Germany. Photo by Martin Juen. Copyright Demotix