Page 286 - A Helping Hand for Refugees

to prevent migrants from gaining access to the passport-free Schengen
Zone.

The only thing these desperate people, compelled to flee their war-
stricken countries, expected was a welcome. What they faced instead
was abuse and ill-treatment by their host countries' police officers and
border guards.

While addressing the refugee crisis, the host countries must keep
one important fact in mind:

This world is not a safe haven for any one. No matter who he is
or where he lives, every individual in this world is vulnerable to any
ordeal at any time. Be it natural or man-made, a disaster or an unex-
pected accident may wreck havoc on a person's life at any moment.
When faced with such an ordeal, a person who is in the position of
extending a helping hand can suddenly find himself in a state of need.
That is why 'the spirit of solidarity' that Chancellor Merkel spoke of is

one key value that will overcome the refugee problem that Europe has
faced today.

284 A Helping Hand for Refugees