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EU Leaders Speak on Refugee Crisis; Chaotic Scenes of Refugees in Hungary, Some Set Off on Foot; School in Germany to Help Refugee Children; Soyuz Rockets Docks with ISS; North Korea's New Pop Band. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired September 04, 2015 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00] DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: .This -- these desperately unsafe journeys that are leading to these appalling tragedies.
So that is the approach we take, there is a lot more to do to bring Europe together to solve these problems. And the Prime Minister and I have been
discussing it over lunch.
I think the Spanish have a huge amount to offer here for what they demonstrated over the crisis when there was a refugee crisis in the Canary
Islands, they worked with the West African countries, they funded some of their coastguards and border efforts, they invested in those countries,
they created the ability to take people back to those countries. Obviously we're dealing with a problem on a far bigger scale but there are lessons to
learn from the approach that the Spanish took when they were facing those difficulties some years ago.
MARIANO RAJOY, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER: (As translated) I wanted to ask all of you whether you believe that the refugee crisis that there have been a
slow reaction by the European Authorities. We've seen changes in the past few weeks not just by the Spanish government but also by the British
government.
They have been self-critical for some point (English and to Greece). I would like to talk about this and to also Spain and the UK, are you both
willing to take on a larger number of refugees? And can you tell us when are you going to do this. And for the Spanish Prime Minister, I would like
to ask you about the Spanish town halls proposals made in order to work on a shelter refugees and whether this can be done quicker.
I'll also mention -- say that Cameron has also mentioned that 0.7% of the GDP has been provided but what about Spain? Can we make it bigger?
You've asked like seven questions I can't remember all of it but let's try and answer.
Whether we have acted in a fast or a slow way -- well I remember that there was a decision made by the interior ministers of the EU last July. In that
meeting we talked about the commitments of each country including Spain to work on more people seeking asylum from Eritrea and Syria. And we agreed
to bring to Europe persons in Syria who need asylum. I think this is important. These are displaced people that should be brought to Europe and
welcome here.
Also we talked about giving shelter to people who are in Greece and Italy. Greece and Italy have committed themselves to resolve as fast as possible
some of these issues. We are waiting for the EU, for them to tell us when these people are going to be brought over so that we can give them asylum
and shelter.
In Spain we are tripling the asylum seekers allowance. We are giving asylum to those who seek asylum in Spain especially those who come from
Syria.
We're going to fulfill our commitment with the EU. On the 14th September there will be a meeting by the interior ministers at the EU and we're going
to find out more after that. What I would like to stress is that Spain, and I think that all European countries, we will never refuse asylum
seekers. We haven't done that before so we're not going to do it now.
Relating to the town halls, it doesn't seem that reasonable but they will be part of the meeting we're going to hold about immigration and also there
will be representatives of the different premises and municipalities.
[10:05:12] We want to be efficient we have to organize this process together towards the same goals.
The decisions made by some of the town halls are welcome but we don't know how many people we've got to take in yet. I think that I have answered
your questions.
CAMERON: Let me just pick out two points. Have we been too slow on this issue? I would argue that we were swift to direct our aid budget towards
this problem, swift to get the royal navy into the Mediterranean. But the Syrian problem is one which is a uniquely difficult situation. You have
President Assad who's been butchering his own people. You have the emergent of ISIL who created chaos in that country from which people are
fleeing. And what Syria needs is a government that can represent and look after all of its people. But we are some way away from that.
And so the fundamental cause of particularly the Eastern Mediterranean migration is going to take a lot of time to tackle but that doesn't mean we
shouldn't do everything we can patiently with hard work to put that right.
But I think the will is there to deal with these different elements but I think as well as responding swiftly we have to respond effectively. And I
think that in Europe we've got to identify the importance of breaking this link particularly now I'm talking about the emigration from Africa to
Europe. We have to break this link between getting on a boat and getting settlement in Europe.
Now that requires obviously a government in Libya it requires support for that government to be able to return boats back. It means it needs to be
possible to return economic migrants to Africa.
But I think all the evidence from around the world where you have these crises, unless you can break the link particularly when it comes to
economic migration between departing and getting settlement then you have a very serious problem. So I hope that Europe will consider those issues.
On the issue of quotas, Britain is not part of Shengen. We've maintained our border controls so we don't take part in this quota of migrants who
have arrived in Europe and get spread around Europe, but we will do our bit by taking migrants directly -- sorry refugees directly from the refugee
camps which we think is a better approach because you're not saying to people make a dangerous crossing and we'll give you asylum. We're saying
we will play our part in re-settling those people who need re-settling but we will take it from refugee camps rather than encourage people to make
this dangerous and potentially lethal crossing.
I think we've got a second question from Nick Watt of the Guardian.
NICK WATT, GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER: Thank you Prime Minister just picking up on one of the seven questions for my Spanish colleague. If I could ask both
Prime Ministers; you have as the UK Prime Minister has just said, you are opposed to the Jean-Claude Juncker proposal for 160,000 compulsory quota.
But has the time not come, obviously Spain and the UK, face different obligations under the Lisbon Treaty, but has the time not come for you to
take part in that if only in the spirit rather than the letter of it?
And secondly to David Cameron, Mariano Rajoy has just distinguished between migrants and refugees. Does the outpouring of grief in the UK for Aylan
Kurdi show that the people of Britain do understand that there is a difference between refugees and migrants? And has the time not come for
you to take refugees out of your net migration target? Because what a lot of critics are saying is one of the things that's held you back with your
announcement now is nerves about once again failing to meet that net migration target.
CAMERON: Three questions for me there. First of all in terms of joining in the spirit of what the European Union is doing, I would argue Britain is
doing that. We are saying look, we're not part of Shengen, we're not part of your decision making about this quota. We happen to think that this is
not the right approach because it can encourage people to make the journey. But none the less, we as a moral nation will fulfill our moral obligations
and our humanitarian obligations by taking people directly from Syrian refugee camps and we will work with others in Europe to try and strengthen
the external border of Europe even though we're not a Shengen nation. We've already given assistance on that front.
So I would say we are entering absolutely into the spirit of what others are doing but we have a very clear view. That the best way to help people
is not to encourage them to make this dangerous journey but to resettle people from the refugee camps.
Do we distinguish between migrants and refugees? Yes of course we do. The British people do, I do, our whole system does. We have a very fair asylum
system which if you take a 25 year view has taken -- has always been in the top four or five in Europe of taking people and giving them a new life in
Britain. And we should be very proud of that.
[10:10:15] It's a tradition going back for centuries and there are many people including members of my own party in parliament you know whose
families came to Britain, Ugandan, Asians in just the clothes they stood up in and Britain has always discharged our moral obligations and always will.
It's right to distinguish between economic migration and refugees, asylum seekers, and that's what our system does. Is it right to take them out of
some sort of target? I don't believe it is because I think the British public's view is very straight forward and very sensible which is they want
to know that taken as a whole our immigration and asylum system and our arrangements for allowing people to come to our country are under good
control. That is what they want. That is what I want, and that is what the government is determined to deliver.
RAJOY: Well you have asked about Juncker's proposal, I don't know about it. It hasn't been formally submitted to the Spanish government as far as
I know it hasn't to any government. What I would like to explain is what Spain is doing.
Spain is right now the EU country where more (inaudible) are leaving immigration to their own citizens. More than 10% of those living and
working in Spain are foreigners. I'm not including those with dual nationality. I think that integration in Spain has been done well. These
people are working here. They try to have a dignified life, they collaborate with Spain. It's a good model.
And they also have the same rights as all Spaniards. Spain has endeavored as we have borders with some of the African countries so that we can help
and try and have a success in the end. Have said that the EU, and also Mr. Juncker that there are things that need to be done as it is not a good idea
to try and resolve problems when it's too late.
We have a serious problem now with Syria, but if we could fix the situation in Syria, no doubt we wouldn't be having this problem now.
The economic migration is taking place because there are lots of people in Africa and throughout the world and it's not that they want to flee their
countries, it's that they cannot have a dignified life in their own countries, so we have to support them. There are 28 countries in Europe so
we can help them. I have said this to Mr. Juncker and I'm going to talk to him about it again.
We need a comprehensive and global asylum policy. What we are doing now relating to the quotas is to -- sorry and tackle the arrival of so many
refugees we are seeing has been quite dramatic in the past few days. So we're trying to tackle the issue but it's really hard. We have to go and
find a solution where the problems originate.
This is what I am going to talk about and request again from the EU. This is our duty as governments. We have to think in the long term otherwise it
could be lethal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good afternoon, I have a question about the situation in (inaudible). That process and dependence in (inaudible). Have you
talked about these? About your experiences to the Spanish Prime Minister in relation to (inaudible). Mr. Cameron do you think that (inaudible) will
continue to be a member of the EU?
And a question to Mr. (inaudible) has submitted today his plans and program is seeking independence. He's saying that it all depends on politics and
willingness. Is there anything you can tell us about this? Thank you.
[10:15:10] CAMERON: Thank you. All I would say is like the United Kingdom Spain is a great country with a long and proud history. And if I
had a message I suppose ..
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: All right, you've been hearing there from the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron and his Spanish counterpart, Mariano Rojay.
They've been addressing the migrant crisis that has across Europe generated headlines, generated outrage and also frustration from many people asking
their leaders and the heads of government and state to come up with some sort of plan to address what is the largest migrant movement in this area,
in this part of the world, since the end of World War II.
We have heard from the United Kingdom over the last several hours that the UK government is prepared to accept thousands more Syrian refugees. We did
not get a specific number from the UK Prime Minister right now. Our Nic Robertson, senior international correspondent, Nick Robertson, is at
Downing Street with more on the UK response to all of this.
Nick though we did hear from the Prime Minister that he believes that the best response is to provide monies to refugees in camp abroad rather than
encourage them to come to Europe illegally.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: David Cameron is under political pressure back home to be tough on the migrant issue. It's
a bit political issue here in the UK. He is of course under moral pressure from political leaders here, religious leaders, and of course people on the
street who have witnessed the images this week of the young Syrian boy dead on a beach in Turkey, and feel that Britain should be more compassionate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So David Cameron is essentially walking a tightrope here. What he has said is that he will take thousands of more Syrian refugees, give
them asylum in Britain, he was asked to be specific on those numbers, he said he would take that under advisement working with aid organizations
directly in the camps. But what he has been at great pains to do here Britain has faced a lot of criticism from European allies that it is not
doing enough to help migrants. That the number of migrants that it receives and gives asylum to is proportionately lower than many other
European countries.
So what he's done here is sort of go back on the offensive and say you know Britain is giving $1.5 billion directly to aid organizations to help people
in the camps. That he is further increasing that figure by $150 million. That Britain he said is the only country in the world that's keeping its
aid commitment of 0.7 of GDP committed and directed to giving aid to refugees.
Of course what he's also done here is try to set the difference between refugees escaping persecution and war as opposed to economic migrants who
are part of his migrant issue back home here in the UK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So really he's kind of put forward a very sort of robust position that Britain is already doing a lot, more than other European
nations but the tackling the problem at source, Hala.
GORANI: All right but in terms of actual numbers when you consider Germany potentially considering asylum applications of 800,000 people in 2015
alone. Give us a sense of the numbers for the UK compared to countries like Germany or Sweden.
ROBERTSON: Well there are two ways of measuring that and on neither scale does Britain stack up very well. You have Germany in the lead, you have
Hungary, you have Sweden, you have Italy and others ahead of Britain.
Britain, if you look simply at the numbers alone, 33,000 compared to the 800,000 that Germany is talking about. But then if you compare that to the
population in the country already, that is about 0.5% in Britain sort of asylum seeker versus the population of the country.
If you look at that number in Germany, Germany is closer to sort of 2% of the population. And other countries, Sweden, Hungary, further ahead than
that.
So when you stack up Britain against the rest of Europe those numbers don't look very good. What David Cameron looks at here is the political cost of
being perceived as being soft on the migrant issue. The third largest party by number of votes in the elections here in May was of course the UK
Independence party, about 4 million votes. They've got those votes very much on the strength of the migration issue.
So as a domestic issue David Cameron tries to take a tough line by keeping the problem away from Britain by paying if you will, to help people in the
camps. And standing up and saying we're contributing more than anyone else, that's where Britain's contribution is, at source, rather than taking
people into the country Hala.
[10:20:18] GORANI: All right, we'll see how many more thousand re- settlement spots Britain does indeed end up offering to Syrian refugees as promised today by the Prime Minister without giving a specific number. Nic
Robertson is at 10 Downing Street, thanks very much.
Of course we've been covering over the last two or three days or so the chaotic situation in Hungary, first at the Budapest train station with
hundreds of stranded migrants and refugees and then that tense standoff about 35km outside of Budapest where there's been a train stopped on the
tracks full of refugees demanding to go to Germany. Our Fred Pleitgen is there at that train station.
Fred, what is the latest because last time we spoke to you a freight train pulled up between journalists and that train carrying all those refugees.
What's going on right now?
FRED PLEITGEN, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well you're absolutely right Hala. The freight train pulled us -- pulled up between us and the
refugees right as we were filming that scene and what happened a couple of minutes later was that all of a sudden, I would say several hundred riot
police then showed up in gear and they then marched onto the platform and they then pushed the migrants that were outstanding outside that train into
the train and has -- have essentially sealed the train off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: We're actually on a bridge overlooking the tracks right now and if we try to zoom in a little bit you can see that the platform at this
point in time is full of riot police officers who are guarding that train. Again they've pushed all the migrants who were outside back into the train.
And what was going on before obviously was a lot of the migrants were coming out of the train, they were standing at a fence and they were trying
to communicate with us. They were telling us about their grievances, they were telling us about how bad their situation is on board that train, that
there's pregnant women on that train, that of course it's getting hotter and hotter on that train here on this very hot day today and that they had
very little in the way of food and water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: And that they don't want food and water from the Hungarians but they will accept it from organizations like the Red Cross that are here as
well but have only been able to supply them with very little so far. So they were voicing their grievances then all of a sudden this freight train
pulled up and essentially blocked our view and shortly after that freight train the riot police showed up and now we're just waiting to see what
happens next. Whether or not the police is going to try and escort them off that train as they said they've been wanting to do to bring them into a
refugee shelter close to here which is exactly the opposite of what the migrants want.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: They want this train to continue to go either to Austria or to Germany so that they can then apply for asylum there. But certainly the
standoff that's been going on here for more than 24 hours has now just escalated considerably Hala.
GORANI: And what is the expectation, I mean the police sources you're speaking to at that train station. Do -- will they at some point use force
to remove people from the train and force them to go to some of these relocation camps? What is your understanding of what they're planning
here?
PLEITGEN: Well it's completely unclear at this point but we have been able to capture sort of glimpses of the way that the police usually does this
here. Because one thing that's happening is that there's not just this train of course that refugees are trying to take in Hungary, but there are
also other trains that have refugees on them as well. And some of them have actually also stopped here on this platform and immediately police
moved in, got all the migrants off the train, usually groups of 10 to maybe 20 people and marked them directly to busses to then be taken to these
camps for registration.
Now again, the people that are on this specific train have said they don't want to do that. It's unclear at this point in time whether or not the
police plans on raiding that train. But we have heard in no uncertain terms from Hungarian politicians, and of course also from the government
spokesman that they believe that the situation here is not one that is going to be sustainable. They say in their perspective the migrants here
are breaking the law, are breaking European law, are breaking Hungarian law, and therefore they will have to go to a refugee center.
So it seems as though there is a very stubborn approach even though of course we have heard from other governments like for instance the German
government that Syrians that actually come to Germany will not have to leave. So the standoff is continuing at this point in time it's absolutely
unclear whether or not the police forces that are here are going to try and move in on that train or going to try and raid that train, or going to try
and get the people off, or whether or not they might move the train somewhere else to deal with it there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Or whether or not the train might actually move to some other town in Hungary, we simply don't know at this point. But we do know at
this point in time the situation for those who are on that train which was already dire to begin with because they were very frustrated and very weak,
and you could see that the children really were suffering under the situation that was going on. That situation has now gotten a lot worse
because it appears to us as though even the windows on that train at this point in time seem to be closed Hala.
[10:25:12] GORANI: And you mention that the refugees are not accepting handouts water or food from Hungarian authorities but are they taking
enough from NGOs and charitable organizations to be able to get through the next few days? Or is that too at some point bound to run out? What's the
situation on their supplies inside the train?
ROBERTSON: Well it's absolutely difficult. I mean it's absolutely unclear how long these people are going to be able to sustain this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: But they have said that they absolutely want no handouts whatsoever from the Hungarian government they will only take it from
organizations like the Red Cross.
But I mean we've seen some efforts from the Red Cross here on the platform in the -- from the Red Cross here on the platform and it was really very
little. It was a couple of bottles of water that they were able to get to the refugees. There were some journalists actually who managed to hand
over little boxes of food but it really wasn't any more than that.
On the other hand though I spoke with one refugee who came out to a fence and tried to talk to us and he was saying that we don't want food, we don't
want water, we simply want to move on. So they're being quite stubborn themselves. The Hungarian authorities have brought food here, they've
brought water here but the migrants who are on that train are saying they're not willing to accept anything coming from the Hungarian
government, they don't want to have anything to do with the Hungarian government, they want to move on as fast as possible Hala.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Fred Pleitgen at that train station outside Budapest, thanks very much. We have another situation developing in parallel to this one.
It appears as though a group of refugees has set off on foot from Budapest determined to make it to Austria on foot. Arwa Damon, our senior
international correspondent is with them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Arwa, tell us where you are and what you're seeing.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi Hala, we are on the highway that connects Budapest to Vienna and there are thousands of people,
most of them refugees of the war in Iraq and Syria who have decided to walk.
They came to this decision, they'd been talking about it for a few days because they simply could not wait in the train station, wait for
politicians to take a decision that would impact their lives, finally deciding to take matters into their own hands and walk they say if they
have to all the way to Germany.
It seems like almost everyone got up from that train station decided to head out and taking the police a little bit by surprise. There is a police
force out, they're not trying to stop them at this stage they're simply trying to make sure that the vehicles stay away from them.
We've also seen some very refreshing acts of kindness along the way Hala. Because the actions of the government and the security force have been
fairly hostile towards these people. But we have seen along this route citizens coming and distributing water to them, some of them walking with
them in solidarity saying that they were so moved and distraught by the images that they had seen especially of the children that they decided they
just had to come out and somehow help.
Some of them also say that they were ashamed of the way their government was handling this entire crisis. There are whole families here, for the
kids obviously it is tiring for them but they too are going. They're trying to organize themselves, trying to keep people over on one side of
the street, trying to make sure that they're not too disruptive to traffic although that obviously is fairly difficult.
There's a family Hala that we met back there because a lot of people do tend to ask about why it is that an individual undertakes this kind of a
journey. We met a family back there from Raqqa, the ISIS stronghold in Syria who left just a month and a half ago. They tried to live under ISIS
rule and quite simply, understandably, could not take it and so they decided to make this journey.
And that's a similar story that so many others here have because they are mostly refugees of the wars in Iraq and Syria. And they came so far, they
came to what they thought was the gateway to Europe and did not find those European values that they've heard so much about, those values of
respecting an individual's human rights, respecting an individual's dignity, and so they've decided to just walk. Because having come this
far, they could not wait any longer, they could not bear to see their children living in the streets any longer, Hala.
GORANI: All right, these are absolutely remarkable scenes. Give us a sense of -- give us a sense of the numbers of people. I see you're walking
with them at the same time there on that Hungarian highway. How many people are around you right now?
[10:30:03] DAMON: We would estimate thousands. One of the organizers, one of the refugee organizers told us around two and a half to three
thousand perhaps. So much greater in number than what the population at the train station was. It seems as if as this went on more and more people
hearing that this was going to be happening, more and more joining. People obviously (inaudible).
She's like we're not just tired we're completely broken down. All the way to Germany. You know the kids sometimes their resilience is so phenomenal.
They still some of them have the ability to make their parents laugh and as painful as it is Hala, in some cases for parents to see their children in
these situations, the fact that you know the kids keep going. The kids keep laughing and playing in these few moments that they do manage to
capture them. That gives them a lot of strength.
It's very heartbreaking for the parents, to see the children in some of the situations that they have already been in for example when they crossed the
Serbia/Hungary border and had to beg for water. Or when they were (inaudible) for days, it's very difficult for the parents.
But I mean you can see this right now this is sheer pure determination, Hala.
GORANI: Tell me, what's going on there with that -- I see there's police there surrounding that group, I mean is there going to be an effort at some
point to disperse them? Are they being allowed to walk? And by the way how far is Austria? I mean how far would they have to walk to reach any
kind of border point?
DAMON: Austria is about a two and a half hour drive, so I'm not really sure how far it is in kilometers, but they're expecting to walk all day and
well into the night if that's what they need to do.
Over here we're also seeing there's water being handed out to them. We've seen this along the way, it doesn't -- it seems to be a very haphazard
effort but you know people seeing that there is a need for certain things like water coming, stopping. We saw something similar to this further down
as well. We've really seen the Hungarian population rally on this highway to a level that we hadn't really seen before because as I was saying a lot
of what we're seeing from the government is a fairly aggressive and hostile attitude towards these refugees. And there are elements within the
Hungarian population as we've been seeing along this stretch of highway who do not necessarily agree and are ashamed of their government's attitude in
how these people are being treated who are coming out and are trying to help whichever way they can.
These are people who have already Hala, spent weeks on the road. They took boats, many of them say they almost drowned trying to cross the Aegean and
the Mediterranean just to get to Greece. They already walked for hours across Greece, Macedonia, many of them just to get to this point spent
anywhere between three weeks up to two months travelling throughout Europe, sleeping in the streets, sleeping in the forest oftentimes with little to
no shelter from the rains, from the beating sun. So when you ask them about it, the difficulties of this particular journey, they will say if you
look at what we've already been through, we can get through this. And they are so determined to get out of Hungary because of the way that they have
been treated here that a road, a walk they say that's not going to stop them. They'll do it.
GORANI: Well if you're saying two and a half hours drive, I mean this is hundreds and hundreds of kilometers, at least 300 kilometers. I mean at
some point they're going to have to stop and they're going to have to figure out how to go forward. And it appears as though this is what
desperation will do to people they'll just set off on these long seemingly impossible and improbably adventures to try to get the best out of it.
I apologize also here we have a bit of a storm which kind of explains why I might be having trouble hearing Arwa. But tell us a little bit about the
police response and security forces. Are they with those refugees now are they just allowing them to walk?
DAMON: Well they're actually walking with them. And the sense that we get is that they may have been caught off guard and they can't stop or at this
stage they have not seemingly tried to stop people from moving. So they are -- and I can't see them quite around us right now, but they are trying
to create something of a perimeter, a cordon around these people with their vehicles, some of them walking along as the refugees are walking through as
well to try to prevent traffic from moving into them.
[10:35:16] So for now, it seems like they're trying to secure the route. Will they allow them to keep going? How far will they actually be able to
go? We don't know. They said -- the organizers of this march told us that -- told us that they don't really have a set plan. They don't know exactly
where they're stopping, where they're spending the night, how they're going to get provisions. But anything they say is better than sitting and
waiting at that train station and leaving your hands in the fate clearly of leaders who don't, in their perspective have their best interests at heart.
So this they say was the only choice they have.
And there you can see one of the police cars along the road. So throughout all of this we do now have the police trying to secure them, also some of
the key organizers that come through make sure that people at least stay over to one side of the road, Hala.
GORANI: And I found interesting what you said about ordinary Hungarians handing out water and some saying, and I've seen it on social media as
well, this government, the government of Viktor Orban does not represent me.
And you've witnessed some of that during this walk as well Arwa, tell us about that.
DAMON: We have, and you know back at the train station you did see you know volunteers coming up handing out things like yoga mats for people to
sleep on, handing out water, bringing diapers. But this really it seems to have awakened something in the population where we really saw a lot more
people than we had before coming out and wanting to help them along the way.
We met a mother who was here with her three daughters who was telling us that all she could think about when she saw the children and how the
children were having to survive sleeping in the streets, when she saw this march underway she just decided along with her daughters, she said wanted
to come along with her as well to come out and hand out water.
And you see water bottles in a lot of people hands it shows you the extent to which was brought was handed out, and this wasn't really an organized
effort. We saw people just driving up with their vehicles, vehicles loaded with bottles, handing them out leaving, and then further down another
vehicle would arrive.
At one point there's a woman who took three children and just put them on her bicycle and was just walking them along. The kids that we've spoken to
have been saying that yes they are tired, and understandably so. I mean this is a long, long way. It's pretty hot out. It's not easy for them.
But they've been through a lot already. And they do seem to understand as best as a child can that they kind of have to do this as well. They have
to buck up, they have to tough it out and they do have to keep going.
I have -- keep saying this over and over again but you know sometimes you see these kids in these very difficult situations, you see them appearing
to be completely listless, and then at times you see them bouncing back so strong, still making their parents life. And you know the parents are
exhausted, Hala, they are physically exhausted, they're emotionally drained, their nerves are frayed.
None of them imagined when they decided to take the risk, and they do know it is a risk to bring a child on this journey, and they say that they do it
because they believe that if they stay back in their homelands their kids would end up dead regardless so why not take a chance and try to bring them
to Europe.
And many of them say that they couldn't stay in Turkey because they couldn't build a life of future in Turkey. The kids weren't able to have
access to proper education, they weren't able to make a living and they realize, and this is something that's very difficult for someone to accept,
but they realize they can't go back home. They're not going to be able to go back home probably not in their own lifetime. So they have to do
something to secure a future for their children and this is the only way that they believe that they can do it.
So yes they do decide to take this phenomenal risk and bring their children out here but none of them ever really thought that when they first took the
decision to make the journey to Europe that they would have ended up sleeping in the streets, being made to watch their children sleep in the
streets with dirty clothes, unable to bathe. That in the heart of Europe they would not have access to these very basic and fundamental things.
GORANI: Yes. Arwa Damon, our senior international correspondent. As we were mentioning there remarkable scenes. A real sea of humanity on a
highway in Hungary desperate refugees setting off on foot hoping to make it to the Austrian border. Thanks very much. Arwa Damon we'll keep in close
touch with you as you continue to cover what is really an exodus of desperate refugees and migrants who are saying no more train stations, no
more being stranded in Budapest, no more overstuffed, overcrowded stinky trains. We are just going to risk it on foot on an open highway.
We're going to continue to cover this story, this important migrant and refugee crisis across the continent. For now though from Berlin back to
the CNN center, and Lynda Kincade.
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LYNDA KINCADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hala Gorani in Berlin, Germany. Thank you very much we're going to take a short break and we will continue on the
unfolding refugee crisis.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINCADE: Welcome back to the INTERNATIONAL DESK, I'm Lynda Kincade. We're returning now to our top story, the migrant crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KINCADE: And the ugly standoff between police and Syrian refugees at a train station outside the Hungarian capital.
Millions of Syrians have sought refuge in other countries. The majority have settled mainly in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.
More than 4 million Syrians have sheltered in those four countries, nearly twice as many are displaced inside Syria.
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KINCADE And right now the crisis seems insurmountable. Many people are wondering what they can do to help after seeing the graphic images flowing
out of Europe.
I'm joined now via Skype from Amman, Jordan, by Fran Charles, she's the Advocacy Director for World Vision's Syria's Response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KINCADE: Fran, many people may have turned a blind eye to this crisis unfolding in Syria but it's pretty hard to ignore it in particular since we
saw that image of the little two year old boy, Aylan Kurdi.
Do you think that image is enough to change views and prompt action both short term and long term?
FRAN CHARLES, ADVOCACY DIRECTOR, WORLD VISION SYRIA'S RESPONSE: I really feel that if that image isn't enough to motivate people to stand in
solidarity with Syrians who are fleeing (inaudible) in their country then I don't know what will. But we know at World Vision what's really important
is it's not enough to just share that photo. Taking action is critical and the first thing that we need people to do is help talk about the need for
peace in Syria. So we need to be lobbying politicians and putting pressure on domestic governments to use their influence, their leverage so it's a
growing party to the conflict to a political solution, that's incredibly important.
KINCADE: In these incredible pictures of people on foot leaving Budapest hoping to make it to the Austrian border, you've been in Syria, just
describe what they're fleeing.
CHARLES: What we can tell you that since the start of this crisis in 2011 death, destruction, suffering, mass atrocities. People really are running
for their lives. And I can tell you the situation in Syria gets increasingly worse.
Four years ago there were one million people in humanitarian need. Now it's 12 million. If this continues we're going to see more and more people
trying to flee the grave risk they're facing in Syria. And the first place these refugees go is not to Europe, it's to the surrounding countries. So
as you say, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, these are the places that are shouldering the most burden at the moment in terms of numbers. There's 4
million in these countries and we really need to try and work out how we can support these governments and the response that they've been doing as
well.
[10:4509] KINCADE: In terms of obviously we're seeing a lot of those countries accepting a lot of refugees but we see in the Gulf region 6
countries including Amman, where you are now, not taking any Syrian refugees. Now that's according to Amnesty International. It's been
reiterated by Human Rights Watch. What's the feeling there as they see these pictures from Europe play out?
CHARLES: I think it's incredibly important to realize the strain that the region has been under in terms of shouldering the burden since the start of
the crisis. Through hosting refugees, through using their own infrastructures to support these refugees and you can see they're really at
breaking point. If we're not able to support them to do so then the strain gets increasingly difficult. The quality of asylum in these countries goes
down and that's why you see numbers of refugees increasing coming into Europe.
KINCADE: So what needs to be done, you're obviously focusing a lot on the source of the problem. We heard Prime Minister David Cameron talking about
a focus that has to be there in Syria and with the refugees that are in those neighboring countries. What do you think needs to be done in the
short term?
CHARLES: I think the short term we must see an immediate end to violence by all parties to the conflict, that's number one. That's so important.
The second thing that needs to happen is the scale of the crisis is such that we are -- the regional response plan is only 25% funded. So
governments who have made commitments, that money hasn't yet materialized for the response. So we need to fund the response to look after refugees.
We need to stand in solidarity and make sure that there's critical protection areas, shelter, water, education, sanitation, health, in every
single country that refugees flee to are provided to them. Everyone, everyone has a right to seek asylum and all UN member states have a duty to
provide that asylum to them.
KINCADE: And do you know the numbers that are in places like Jordan and Lebanon, how are those countries coping with the influx?
CHARLES: I've got to tell you these countries are at breaking point. With over about 1 million in Lebanon, 623,000 in Jordan. These countries have
done a phenomenal job and have been incredibly generous in looking after refugees, providing them that asylum. But I can tell you in every single
country in the region that is hosting refugees, in every -- in terms of every single need, we're not able to meet it. That is the scale of the
crisis.
But as I say this is a country where refugees go to first so we really need to make sure that the quality of asylum is able to be maintained in these
countries and we need to support governments to do that.
KINCADE: OK, we'll have to leave it there for now, Fran Charles from World Vision, thank you so much for joining us today.
CHARLES: Thanks very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINCADE: And of course once migrants reach their destination it can be a struggle to adjust to a new life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KINCADE: A school in Germany is trying to help refugee children adapt to new homes. Senior international correspondent, Atika Shubert, has more.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At (inaudible) school in Brandenburg Ms. Albrecht is making a game of learning German and her
students are eager to put words into practice.
(ROJAN, REFUGEE) My name is Rojan, I from Iran.
SHUBERT: Just two of the dozens of young refugees going to school here this is a welcome class for learning German designed to get kids of all
ages speaking quickly as possible.
It is up to 16 kids, one teacher and two assistants, a lot of staff to make sure each child gets the support they need.
YVONNE ALBRECHT, TEACHER: I learned that they are very, very friendly, that they are very open minded, they are very fast learners, lots of them,
especially from Syria. They're happy here in Germany and that makes me happy as well.
SHUBERT: Nearly 40% of the kids here are from refugee or migrant families. Students come from Syria and Iran, but also Albania, Afghanistan, Somalia,
and Chechnya. Some have been here for years, others only a few weeks.
ALBRECHT: (As translated) I have learned so much from them says this teacher and they learn from each other. They talk all the time about the
different ways they get to school, how they live and what kind of food they eat. Personally I am grateful for it she says.
SHUBERT: Teachers are sensitive to the difficulties of adjusting to a new country so there are home visits to refugee shelters and field trips to get
kids comfortable with their new neighborhood. The goal is a class like this.
Confident students speaking fluent German and yet there is nothing special about the school insists Principle Goldberg.
[10:50:05] (GOLDBERG) (As translated) We simply want students to feel as comfortable as quickly as possible she says, we want this to feel like home
and for them to forget the wars and conflict they have left behind.
SHUBERT: For some of these children it's not home yet but it is a fresh start and most of all a chance at a normal life.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Brandenburg, Germany.
KINCADE: And if you want to help the refugees we have on our website a list of aid groups working on the ground from teams dedicated to rescuing
migrants in the Mediterranean, to groups providing food to young refugees. It's all at CNN.com/impact. We'll be right back after this quick break.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENFIED FEMALE: We're standing by for the contact. There is contact.
UNIDENTIIFED MALE: And contact and capture confirmed 2:39 am central, 3:39 am eastern time while the station in Soyuz are flying just over the
northern border of Kazakhstan between Kazakhstan and Russia.
KINCADE: The Soyuz rocket docking with the International Space Station today brought new crew members from Russia, Denmark and Kazakhstan. The
new arrivals got a warm welcome but it's a little crowded up there. This is the first time since 2013 that 9 people have been on board the orbiting
laboratory at the same time.
But it's just for a week, three of the crew members will return to earth next Friday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINCADE: Well, from pop concerts to modern fashion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KINCADE: There's a distinctly western trend appearing in North Korea and it seems that North Koreans Kim Jong Un is the one who's embracing the
change. Kyung Lah looks at the makeover.
KYUNG LAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to North Korea's hottest pop band -- Moranbong a violin wielding, high heel wearing, Kim
Jong Un loving girl group formed, according to North Korea's propaganda by the supreme leader himself.
At this concert a long range missile launches on the big screen behind them. Frenzied fans on their feet, the music crescendos as the missile
strikes a picture of the United States.
[10:55:02] North Korea's age old message delivered by women in a communist version of a Channel suit. It is a modern, powerful twist for the
(inaudible) regimes brainwashing of his people while Kim Jong Un has reported executed members of his own family and inner circle, he's pitching
himself as an exciting young leader says North Korean studies professor Yoo Ho Yeul.
YOO HO YEUL, KOREAN UNIVERSITY: He, Kim Jong Un, is a leader who are familiar with such kind of a strange and new and otherwise hard
(inaudible).
LAH: It is a calculated departure from the propaganda of his father's era. An North Korea's only airline, Air Koryo, flight attendants ditching the
stayed soviet era uniforms and replacing them with this, the leggy outfits gracing this month's cover of North Korea's magazine.
The new North Korea spotted on Kim Jong Un's very own wife, Ri Sol-ju. She is North Korea's Kate Middleton spawning a westernization of fashion in
Pyongyang down to the high heels. But nothing happens by accident on Hermit Kingdom's propaganda TV. No citizens on earth are as happy as us
says North Korea's announcer as Kim Jong Un takes a ride at this brand new amusement park. Pictures on his private plane show him as a progressive
leader cementing his people's loyalty.
North Korea's watchers say updating his propaganda from this to something more modern more outside world does have some political benefit; there is
some risk to the regime.
The ladies of Moranbong perpetually in praise of Kim Jong Un clearly got some ideas from their enemy on the other side of the DMZ. South Korea's K-
pop band; let in some new ideas
YEUL: They want to look beyond the screen maybe it's a risk of the (inaudible).
LAH: A challenge not on a military front but one of human curiosity.
Kyung Lah, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINCADE: That does it for us here at the INTERNATIONAL DESK, I'm Lynda Kincade, thanks for watching. The news will continue after the break.
Stay with us.
END
