Stuck in refugee camps, millions of refugees have been forced to flee their homes in search for asylum in the Western world.  Too scared to enter Europe, and too scared to go back to Syria, refugees are struggling harder than we would ever imagine. Mainstream media no longer reports on this major issue but that does NOT mean it’s over. If anything, it’s far from over and it’s only getting worse. We’re allowing ourselves to forget about the millions of people daily, that are struggling to receive even 1 meal a day.

What’s Going On?

In 2015, over 1 million people were granted entry into the European Union and another 3 million in 2016. Keep in mind these are numbers ONLY for the people that have been granted entry, not the hundreds of thousands (possibly millions) waiting for their golden ticket to their new home.

Life For Refugees is as Bad as the Life They Were Trying to Flee.

Refugees are living in the same conditions that they’ve been fleeing from since the deadly war in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Libya in 2010. Turkey currently holds about 2.5 million refugees, which is higher than any other country hosting refugees. Refugees in Belgrade, Serbia are showering in drained oil barrels next to abandoned warehouses in 0 degrees Celsius, and are only receiving one meal a day at 1 PM. Alex Thomson a British journalist says in a tweet, “In 26 years I have never seen people living like this in Europe – whoever/whatever is to blame.” Thomson also made a journey to a camp near Belgrade where he provides us with raw and unedited footage of Afghan refugees freezing in the winter chill, and sleeping in smoke and ashes.

In 26 years I have never seen people living like this in Europe – whoever/whatever is to blame … pic.twitter.com/oQaF7MkE59

— alex thomson (@alextomo) January 18, 2017

Food at 1pm – only pic.twitter.com/NTOsKCJYSL

— alex thomson (@alextomo) January 18, 2017

This is what a complete failure of EU migration policy looks like… pic.twitter.com/u9lSNOFwCc

— alex thomson (@alextomo) January 18, 2017

Belgrade pic.twitter.com/L5Rcuoalsz

— alex thomson (@alextomo) January 18, 2017

Not only in Belgrade but migrants in Greece and Turkey are suffering just as bad, as they’re being buried under blankets of snow.

My new Home is… an Abandoned Shop

PBS has interviewed a refugee living in Turkey who has been living in an abandoned shop with no plumbing or electricity. PBS has named him Saddam for security reasons.

“if the situation here doesn’t improve, he will consider leaving for Europe. Most refugees living in these makeshift shelters that have sprung up in small border towns have used up most of their money and other resources just to get into Turkey. They don’t have the additional $1,000 to $6,000 per person smugglers would charge them to go onto Europe, at great risk in a small boat or crowded truck.

And going to the United States isn’t even a consideration, given the cost, distance from Syria, and the U.S. immigration restrictions.”

How You Can Help

There are dozens of organizations doing their best to cooperate with international authorities and bring livable conditions to refugees living in inhospitable environments.