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Remember 1956 Viktor Orban! When Europeans were a little more united

A train for Switzerland
A train for Switzerland

(B2) October 1956, the revolution in Budapest has just been bloodily crushed, the borders are open, the regime has left the borders open, preferring to see the majority of its youth and troublemakers go abroad. Nearly 200.000 Hungarians fled first to Austria and then to Yugoslavia, then were resettled in several countries. A certain solidarity is set up...

A steady and fast flow

In a few days, between the end of October and November 7, 15.000 Hungarians arrived in Austria, including 10.000 Hungarians for the weekend of November 4 to 6 alone, reports the UNHCR. The following week, it accelerated. By mid-November, 36.000 refugees had arrived. " The exodus increases, reaching 80.000 at the end of November, with a maximum reached of 8500 people reached in a single day writes Louis Henry in the journal Population (published by Persée, download here). And the flow continues the following months. We are in the middle of winter. It's cold. The snow has appeared. Austria opens camps, schools. Individuals, churches are mobilizing. In Yugoslavia, hotels on the coast are requisitioned to accommodate refugees. In total, up to the beginning of March 1957, 173.000 Hungarians arrived in Austria, and 18.600 arrived in Yugoslavia. Vienna and Belgrade welcome but ask for help and solidarity from Europeans and Westerners.

Resettlement not without difficulties

A resettlement plan is put in place, not without difficulty... An internal NATO note traces the calls for help from Austria and Yugoslavia and their difficulties in taking charge of this mass of refugees over a long period. . " The Austrian and Yugoslav Governments alone cannot take care of these refugees, maintain them and provide them with the immediate relief they need. (…) Despite considerable financial assistance from governments and private sources, the Austrian and Yugoslav governments have so far borne an excessive share of this burden. continues the note from the political committee of the Alliance (download here).

Europeans a little more united

But, on the scale of the event, and of today's situation, we can notice that the mobilization and the management are rapid. " It was the first movement in which refugees were recognized en masse.” emphasizes António Guterres, the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2006, during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of this exodus. " We had resettled 100 people in the first ten weeks which I believe is unimaginable today. At the end of February, 117.000 Hungarians left Austria for several countries, thanks to a policy of reception "quotas" put in place.

But France and the United States... already very stingy

The reception is very uneven however. In absolute figures, it is the United States (28600), the United Kingdom (18700), Canada (13600), Germany (11600), Switzerland (10300) and France (8900) which host the most large number of refugees in absolute numbers. But, in relative share (compared to the population), it is Switzerland (2000 refugees per million inhabitants), Israel (910/million inhabitants), Canada (850/million) and Sweden (550 per million ) who make the most effort. Several countries (Australia, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and Venezuela) quickly lift the ceilings indicated beforehand or increase them significantly. Germany (already!) undertakes to welcome, on its own, 10% of the refugees. It is the only "big country" to exceed the bar of 500 refugees per million inhabitants welcomed. In the end, it is the United States and France that are the most stingy, that welcome the fewest refugees…“ Result in line with their restrictive attitude in terms of welcoming refugees writes Louis Henry.

Comment: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the leaders of Eastern Europe, who are meeting for a summit this Friday in Prague, should remember the solidarity that marked the reception of refugees, starting with Austria and Germany who assured. At the time, Austria, which was barely recovering from the Second World War, could have closed its borders. And Europe could have dropped Austria and Yugoslavia. This was not the case... A little decency, and quite simply historical memory, would be welcome on the part of its leaders. But the lack of solidarity is not the prerogative of the countries of Eastern Europe. We can notice the rather embarrassed position, and to be honest not very generous of France as of the United Kingdom. Outside Europe, the United States, like Russia, which have a share of responsibility in the Syrian drama and are also members of the UN Security Council, should make a notable effort.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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