The refugee camp resembled a low security prison and gave some of the people in our group an unsettled feeling. The question I thought was 'is this to keep people in or out?'. The camp was an ex-military base and looked like it was. It wasn't shanty like and had three or four small flat blocks as well as some trailer park bungalows.
On our arrival we were met by Anna, a fairly young looking lady who was to be our guide for the day. She showed us to the offices where the social workers and government officials were placed and then took us to the buildings where the refugees spent a lot of their time.
First we went to a school building, where classes in language ranged from Hungarian to Portuguese and was available to all no matter how old. This was not the only formative education that they could receive as some of the children were able to go to local schools which was something I wasn't expecting.
We then went to one of the accommodation blocks, which resembled student accommodation. The experience you get of this accommodation is very dependant on how you view refugee camps. I personally believe that the premise of them is to be a filtering service and only temporary for families and individuals who need it. If I was fleeing for my life, I wouldn't care where I was staying as long as it was safe and basic amenities were available. Some in the group had a different idea of comfort and so it was a shock to them, as it will to many.
Each family lived in small bedsits, behind a strong metal door. Inside they were able to do what they wanted with their 'home'. It did resemble a prison cell if no decoration was applied, but the family who allowed us in to see their 'home' had sofas, a tv, nice rugs and decorations on the wall. They were incredibly welcoming and friendly. They had to share amenities, which were very basic, and could have seemed unpleasant, but all necessary equipment like ovens and basins were there (see photos below).
We then went to the nicer accommodation, little trailer park type bungalows. These were the places that all families wanted to get into, and we're nicely equipped and spacious. It wasn't clear how one would get onto the waiting list, but I am sure everyone would try!
We then went to meet the director an some of his team for a Q&A. I felt he was very honest in his answers and also very assured of the purpose of the camp. Some of the answers that surprised me were that in a typical year they would only have 3,000 refugees in Hungary, and only 10% of which would gain European passports, the others would be sent home. It took on average 300 days to decide on a refugees application and if successful they can stay at the camp for as long as they like before integrating in European society.
I really appreciated the experience of visiting the camp and was looking forward to playing football with them on my next visit on Day 10!
In the afternoon we had our weeks debrief then returned back to the flat to get ready for the following days trip to Budapest!
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