To let you all know that Austria rocks?

[bestcatintheworld]

Expat, lived in the UK for half my life.

So you might have seen in the news what's happening in Austria, but honestly, that's just a fraction of what's going on right now. At the railway station in Vienna, hundreds have turned up to welcome the refugees with applause. They are bringing food, medicines, clothes, and most importantly, skills - doctors, lawyers, translators. The police, the army, the national rail service - everybody has behaved impeccably. My Facebook is full of people actually doing stuff. The relief organisations are being inundated with offers to help and have to turn volunteers away.

We're a small country, with a population of less than that of Greater London. 6,5000 have arrived since last night, and we are expecting 10,000 people by the end of today. Many, many families with children. I realise that most of them will eventually travel on to Germany, but still - they are shown that they are welcome and treated with dignity.

Fingers crossed that it continues like this. All my life, I have felt a mixture of shame and embarrassment for my country. Today, for the first time, I feel pride that I can't put into words.

Austria rocks???? Really???? IME one of the most Racist, Xenophobic countries I have ever visited. Wouldn't ever go there again.

BMW6 then open your eyes and watch the news

You could put a rock under the side that is wonky.

We did it with a table leg and a folded piece of paper it was very effective.

Austria seems to be letting people pass through on their way to Germany - why does that make it great?

Aahh, yes! Just what you want when you're starving. Sweets

hellbeast, I really wasn't aware that South American countries did so much for refugees. Please do tell us all about it. I'm dying to know.

Austria seems to be letting people pass through on their way to Germany - why does that make it great?

Pretending that this is a genuine question and not a sarcastic remark...

The thousands of people who have given their time to drive to railway stations all over the country to bring food, drink, clothes, blankets, toys for children and to help with the distribution and processing

The people who drove to the border in the night to help transport people to the railway station and emergency shelters in Vienna

The medics who volunteered to treat injured and exhausted people onsite

The people who can speak arabic or farsi or any other language required who came to help with translating after being recruited via social media

The many employees of the Austrian national railway (fares suspended) who helped out to coordinate

The lawyers who volunteered legal advice to confused people unsure of their rights or position

People on social media helping families reunite

These are some examples of what made Austria great over the last 36 hours. None of them needed to turn up.

10,000 people processed so far, and it's still going on. Keep your cynicism, Nancy75, but you're missing out on an amazing display of humanity. Gives me hope.

some good pictures here

Actually it was a genuine question, but I don't believe that everyone would have been quite so helpful if Austria was the end of the journey for all of the refugees, rather than a stopping off point on the way to Germany.

With that level of generosity and good will why on earth are the refugees passing through and not staying? Does Austria have low employment? Does it tend to reject asylum seeker applications once filed?

Some of the zenophobic remarks are quite shocking. Austria (no matter what happened in the past - because every country has a past to hide!) deserves a lot of praise and should be a model to copy not criticise. Irony is that some of those bashing other countries get upset when I anyone bashes Britain.

Thanks for posting that link ghostyslovesheep it seems to have largely been ignored and people are still talking about Austria only showing compassion and humanity because the people they care about are not staying. Germany must have other motives blah blah. NO here's a newsflash, those are people, and those people have compassion. Maybe some only as the result of one toddlers tragic end, but not all. There are thousands of other toddlers just like him, who are still alive and still deserve a chance. People do care. It's great to see.

KanyeWestPresidentForLife I wasn't aware that TheMotherOfHellbeasts said South American countries did so much for refugees, but since you're dying to know. Brazil has taken over 7000 Syrians. The wealthier South American countries are popular destinations for Central American and Carribeans escaping political persecution or natural distasters. Brazil isn't the only country to take Syrians either www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Chile-mulls-plan-to-take-in-Syrian-refugees-415406

Austria does rock - I lived in Salzburg for a year, and though I didn't find Austrians as obviously friendly as at home (N Ireland) I loved my time there. I've loved seeing the pictures of Austians and Germans welcoming the refugees as they show a warmth and welcome which I think many people don't associate with German speaking countries!

Another way Austria rocks is as a holiday destination - I've been back for a holiday at least every other year, and we've had some brilliant summer holidays in Tirol and Salzburgerland - I'm always recommending it!

Whoknewitcouldbeso I read that many locals were actually upset that they didn't want to stay. As a guess I would say it's because Germany is more famous, especially outside the EU. The reason a lot want to go to England is for similar reasons. Also many speak English. Sometimes it's just about what they know of a country and I would think, in their situations, they don't want to take risks with the unknown.

We holidayed in Austria this summer (cycled 300km long the Danube). The far right were making the headlines: massive increase in popularity due to fears over the numbers of migrants in the country.
We visited Mauthausen. Horrific! We wondered to what extent the locals knew what went on there; I later found out the prisoners were used as slave labour by local farmers and in local factories.
I reckon, as has been alluded to on here, that a good number of Austrians and Germans are pleased to be able finally to atone for their actions 70 years ago, which is understandable, I guess.

tom the word is xenophobia and I think you are displaying it when you say how much you 'dislike' the UK - see definition of the word.
no-one here is disliking Austria (I certainly never said any such thing)
and the link you gave shows :-
Chile is considering taking in dozens of families fleeing Syria's civil war, the foreign minister was quoted as saying on Sunday, as pressure on countries to welcome more refugees grew after the publication of an image of a drowned Syrian toddler.

It looks like Austria has stopped rocking - borders are closing

mollie123 the definition of xenophobia is intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries...not of your own. I'm not even anti-British I'm just not proud of it, going by the news lately, I'm not the only one.

The link I posted was about Chile deciding to FOLLOW their neighbours in taking refugees. Brazil took 7000 and this morning granted places for a further 2000. Argentina, Colombia and Uraguay have done the same, the question wasn't asked about Chile it was asked about South America. Counties that are 10,000 km from Syrua have offered more places than the UK, small countries like Ireland and Belguim have offered more places than the UK. I am yet to feel proud!

BMW6 - I'm with you on the general xenophobia. Add to that a total lack of introspection - I remember going to a Viennese museum and seeing a list of Austrian Nobel prize winners, which failed to mention that half of them had been kicked out of the country at the point of a gun.

I'm sorry, I know this is a serious thread but Boneyback, that really made me giggle. I hate it when someone says something 'rocks'. I shall employ your reply in future.