According to what I just heard on Sky news, 3 years ago Hungary saw c. 4-5,000 migrants PA crossing its borders. The figure has for some time now increased to c 2,500 migrants per day which equates to an annualised figure of over 900,000 pa.
If, as the Hungarian Govt. states, 30% of these are Syrians (and therefore understandably at the top of the list for refugee status) that leaves 600,000 who aren't and most of these fall into the economic migrant category. I don't think some people are fully cognisant of the numbers involved, the rate at which the problem is growing and the fact that the hundreds of thousands backed up in places like Turkey, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Serbia etc. are eventually going to wind up elsewhere in the EU. The plight of the Syrians is not only masking the migrant problem but because the system is being swamped it's become an inducement for others to try to get in before it's too late. Not only that but the message is clearly being sent out by migrants (via social media etc.) who've succeeded to others as to where to go, what to say and how best to avoid detection and registration etc.
Look at the footage on TV and the overwhelming majority of those involved are fit young men, not families, children, the aged or the vulnerable and if we're going to care so much about their needs as economic migrants what are we doing about the plight of the really vulnerable who aren't young and fit and are trapped in desperation? If this is all about compassion where's their share?
---------- Post added at 10:39 ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 ----------
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Originally Posted by denphone
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That being the official figure which will almost certainly be an underestimate.