Farewell for Now

For nearly 3 months now, I have had the privilege to meet so many amazing people and hear the stories of their astounding experiences first hand. Some, like Ahmed, have become friends I still talk to. Others, like Medina, have become memories I will cherish forever.

Returning to the comforts I used to be accustomed to in America, and BASIS Phoenix, after witnessing the hardships and resilience of such lighthearted, good-spirited, and undeservingly punished people, has been a drastic shift (to say the least).

I will forever be grateful to my teacher and on-campus mentor, Darin Namminga, for his support in this untraditional project since the beginning, and my on-site mentor, Lieutenant Colonel Tomislav Djordjević, who took a big leap of faith by allowing a high schooler from Arizona to intern at the Ministry of Defense in the Republic of Serbia.

However, without BASIS Phoenix, and my ever-supportive and understanding college counselors, Bridget Querciagrossa and Kate Taylor, I never would have had the experiences I have been documenting on this blog and those which have remained un-published, but will never be forgotten. My senior project has been life-changing, with no exaggerations to the sentiment, because I have realized where my priorities lay and have solidified my passion in the sphere of international human rights.

Through all of this I have gotten out of my shell; phoning and emailing various organizations seeking commentary to include in my blog, and communicating with spokespeople the likes of the International Organization for Migration in Rome and Hot Food Idomeni, was a push that my communication skills are grateful for.

I appreciate those of you who have followed along on this journey, it has been a remarkable undertaking and a fantastic growing experience for me. As some of you may not be able to make it to my presentation on May 6th, you can view the slides of my PowerPoint presentation here.

Farewell, for now.

15 Reasons Why

When Hungary sealed off the southern borders with razor wire and fences in the autumn of last year, it officially closed off the refugee's Balkan Route. Now, the country accepts only 15 refugees into the country everyday.

Here are 15 reasons that this is an ineffective and improper resolution:

1. Children have priority of entrance, and are much more likely to be accepted a cross than any elder relatives.
2. Once the youths cross, they don't know what to do, where to go, or how to handle the sudden unwanted independence that is present in a new country without parents or a family.
3. Therefore, breaking up families is a common occurrence at all of the border crossings between Hungary and Serbia. Which has devastating psychological effects.
4. The most common separation is between mothers and their children (even toddlers and infants who are still nursing).
5. When little children are brought into the country without their family, they tend to be put in the foster/adoption system, where they typically to stay until adulthood (often times due to prejudice).
6. Adolescent and teenage children allowed in typically stay on the streets, which makes them more likely to do something dangerous and/or illegal.
7. Even for those allowed into the country, there is no guarantee that they won't be sent back to Serbia or any EU country that refugee previously passed through, like Bulgaria or Romania.
8. Since single men are the least likely to be accepted across, they turn to dangerous options and dangerous people, for help and increase their chances of getting hurt.
9. By closing borders, land and sea-wise, countries are not preventing potential threats like they claim to, but are rather providing smugglers and organized criminal groups with more business.
10. The protocol for choosing people is so wanton that the majority of criteria is left to the discretion of the officer(s) in charge at that time.
11. There is no one who actively oversees the officers working at the border, which leads to common violence like this against anyone who tries to cross despite being denied.
12. Refugees, both adults and children, are being treated as disposable and interchangeable political pawns.
13. Those entering Hungary are "recommended" to file a plea for asylum, a ploy which allows the country to meet necessary EU quotas without necessarily having to grant everyone who applies with asylum.
14. The Hungarian government is continuously openly mocking the EU refugee quotas, even after also voting on a referendum to reject said quotas.
15.  The UN has stated that border limits, like this one, violate international law and human decency.

The check-point on the border between Hungary and Serbia.