A small Jobbik counter demonstration was awaiting Migszol when the group arrived to Debrecen. The demonstration march itself was peaceful with great moments of solidarity, like when the protesters were waving to the imprisoned asylum seekers who were in the detention center. After the march the protesters were raising the mood with singing and dancing together. They had also arranged books from Budapest to give to asylum seekers in Debrecen that were received with a very warm welcome.
Harsh living conditions in detention centers have been in the media this month when the Hungarian Helsinki Committee released their statement about the cruel conditions in detention centers in Hungary. The report stated that asylum seekers are often beaten by the guards, a claim that many asylum seekers have confirmed today as well. The Debrecen detention center is an exceptional center, being located inside the territory of the open camp and thus creating a very frustrated and unsafe atmosphere for the people living inside the facilities.
The demonstration against detention was a part of Migszol’s on-going campaign to end the detention of asylum seekers. The group will publish a series of collected storied from detention experiences in the near future. Migszol is grateful for all those brave refugees who joined the demonstration from the open part of the Debrecen camp, who shared their stories and who shared their desire to end the detention of all asylum seekers.
The Migrant Solidarity Group of Hungary aims to create a more welcoming Hungarian asylum system where refugees are treated as protected people and not as criminals.