As of 1st September an emergency response team was set up with the aim of tackling the escalating crisis situation along the Serbian border. In the next two weeks circa 14.000 refugees had received adequate counselling, information and received material support from us. Vulnerable people had been identified and referred to appropriate service providers. Two weeks later the general situation changed as new Hungarian laws came into effect on 15/09/2015. According to the new law Hungary closed its border first with Serbia, later with Croatia. Asylum applications had to be submitted in the so called ‘transit zones’, with a limited procession and reception capacity.
After the closure of the Serbian border the Emergency response staff was divided into 2 teams. One team monitored the situation along the Serbian border and the respective transit zones. The other team had monitored and helped along the Croatian border where thousands of migrants crossed the Hungarian-Croatian border organized by Hungarian and Croatian authorities until 15/10/2015, when Hungary closed the Croatian border as well.
Thereafter both teams continued monitoring the transit zones. One of the teams visited Tompa, Röszke, Beremend and Barcs, and the other team visited Zákány, Letenye and Lenti on a daily basis.
From the 1th of December the emergency response team got access to 3 prison facilities executing immigration detention in Nagyfa, Martonvásár and Vác, and one child protection centre in Hódmezővásárhely to provide psycho-social service for refugees. We facilitated communitiy activities with the aim of structuring their time, and making confinement more bearable. We also provided authentic information on alien policing and return procedures.
The project ended on the 31th of January 2016.