Camerawoman Only Tip Of Migrant Mistreatment Iceberg

While Petra Laszlo, the Hungarian videographer who was caught on tape allegedly tripping and kicking migrants desperate to escape the carnage in their home countries, has apologized and been fired from her position at N1TV in Hungary, it would seem that the migrant population is experiencing mistreatment at the hands of those who should be helping.

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has said that the recent influx of migrants is threatening to undermine the “Christian roots” of Europe. Orban has pushed back against the European Union’s plan to divide where the migrant population should go, and has said that the migrants are immigrants, not refugees that are simply making their way across Europe.

Orban said he believed the migrants may be set on the pursuit of a German lifestyle.

“The living conditions in Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary and Austria are not good enough for them,” he said.

According to Reuters, some 170,000 migrants have made their way into Hungary from Serbia, and there are many who are trying to avoid being registered in Hungary for fear that they may be forced to return to their countries of origin. However, in the migrant camps, there has been accusation that the migrants are being mistreated by those who should be trying to help.

There is video currently circulating on social media of migrant workers throwing food to those in a camp at Roszke, which borders the zone between Hungary and Serbia. Remis Shekal, who spent some time in the camps, said that the camp conditions were awful and that conditions were “only fit for animals.”

According to Human Rights Watch, the Hungarian National Police have rejected a request for Human Rights Watch to examine conditions in the camp for themselves. However, the organization was able to interview migrants held by the camp at some point and Human Rights Watch learned that there were a number of migrants held beyond the 36-hour limit imposed by Hungarian law for detention. According to reports, the migrants had not received edible food and did not know if the food was halal. Some of the migrant population had even started drinking the water people had used to wash with simply to stay hydrated. In almost all cases, the migrant population that was interviewed said that they had barely any access to medical care.

Orban said that the migrant population was about to pose further issues for the Hungarian population, according to The New York Times. The Telegraph added that Orban continued his hard line against the current migrant crisis.

“They have seized railway stations, refused to give fingerprints, failed to cooperate and are unwilling to go to places where they would get food, water, accommodation and medical care,” Mr. Orban said following a meeting about the migrant situation with the chairman of the conservative European People’s Party in the European Parliament. “They have rebelled against Hungarian legal order.”

To date, there are currently no reports – other than from the migrants that were interviewed – from officials as to why the reported mistreatment in the migrant camps continues.

([hoto by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images]