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and Turkey have been host to millions of Syrian
and Iraqi refugees. Over the last couple of
years, Europe has become the target of refugees
desperately seeking better and safer lives. The
number of refugees that flood into Europe has
surged in 2015.
Europe: Biggest Refugee Crisis since the end
of WWII
Europe has not faced a serious refugee crisis
since the end Second World War, when the whole
of the continent laid in ruins with millions of
people homeless and displaced.
Today, there is a new kind of refugee crisis in
Europe, one in which thousands of refugees from
North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia
risk their lives to reach safety in Europe, through
perilous cross border travelling on foot, and
crammed in overcrowded boats crossing seas.
First Stop: Greece
Syrians make up a notable part of the refugees,
who have had to leave their home and country to
escape the horrors of war and bloodshed. The civil
war in Syria has displaced millions of people. Syrian
refugees await on the shores of Greece to see if their
host country will fulfill its promise and register them
as refugees. Perhaps they might get lucky. All these
refugees had jobs and homes in their country.
The rest of Europe
Almost every day nonstop overcrowded boats
and ships leave the coasts of Turkey and Libya and
head for Europe, their post of calls: Greece and
Italy. Many perish in their treacherous journeys,
boats capsizing, people killing and throwing each
other overboard. It is estimated that up to 3000
refugees have drowned since the beginning of this
year.
Refugees also make their way via foot crossing
borders intoFYRMacedonia, Hungary andAustria
hoping to reach the EU countries that providemore
social services such as Germany and Belgium. The
EU countries response to this flood of refugees has
Today, there is a new kind of refugee crisis
in Europe, one in which thousands of
refugees from North Africa, the Middle East
and Central Asia risk their lives to reach
safety in Europe, through perilous cross
border travelling on foot, and crammed in
overcrowded boats crossing seas.