These are a few shots around the township of Magyarkanizsa, Serbia, which as its name suggests has a large Hungarian population.
Starting earlier this summer, thousands of people from Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangla Desh, Pakistan, arrived in this community.
These people passing through were dirty, tired, hungry. The township tried to set up processing stations, to provide clothes, food, diapers and other necessities.
The refugees kept coming. Thousands upon thousands. They were only passing through; but in their wake they left a lot of garbage and refuse and they consumed a lot of the town’s resources.
The refugees wanted to enter into Hungary, to cross the Schengen line, a European Union designation.
They entered Serbia from the south and exited in the north. Many communities like Magyarkanizsa were devastated in their wake. Community workers and volunteers worked from morning to night but they couldn’t keep pace with the waves of people passing through.
Finally in September the township got some provincial money, but have not received anything from the EU or from the federal government.
Communities like this one, across Europe, are struggling with the tens of thousands of people.
They want to help, they say, they really do, and they have, but there is garbage everywhere; and refuse; and the refugees eat the fruit off trees.
This part of Europe had very little rain this year. Corn burned off on the stalk.
They are really struggling to be good. And they want to world to understand that.
Andrew Faiz is traveling with the Moderator of the General Assembly to Hungary, Romania and Ukraine.
