RTX1QZOD
Migrants protest outside the Keleti railway station in Budapest, Hungary, September 3, 2015. Over 2,000 migrants, many of them refugees from conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, had been camped in front of the Keleti Railway Terminus, closed to them by authorities saying European Union rules bar travel by those without valid documents. Reuters/Leonhard Foeger

Icelanders have taken to Facebook to urge the government to allow refugees in the country. The campaign reflects the credibility and power of social media as the world suffers from one of the worst refugee crises since World War II.

Icelandic professor and author Bryndís Björgvinsdóttir on Sunday created the Facebook page “Syria is Calling,” primarily with the motive of urging the government to provide aid to the Syrian refugees. He wrote an open letter to the country’s welfare minister, Eygló Harðar, and suggested fellow citizens to share their ideas about the ongoing crisis. Most importantly, he encouraged them to press their government to extend help in mitigating Europe’s escalating migrant crisis.

“Refugees are human resources, experience, and skills. Refugees are our future spouses, best friends, our next soul mate, the drummer in our children’s band, our next colleague, Miss Iceland 2022, the carpenter who finally fixes our bathroom, the chef in the cafeteria, the fireman, the hacker, and the television host,” Bjorgvinsdottir wrote on the Facebook page.

Within a span of just 24 hours, the page attracted 10,000 followers. Many of them even responded by offering refugees to seek shelter in their house. Later during the day, Harðar replied, saying that measures would be taken up to consider expanding Iceland’s refugee settlement cap, which is 50 at present, for the next two years.

The campaign throws light to the fact that power is also vested in the hands of the masses and the social media’s ability to politically mobilise people in the wake of a crisis where at least 3,000 refugees have lost their lives in a bid to cross Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.

People are risking their lives to flee conflict-stricken Middle Eastern countries and poverty-stricken African countries. As of July, more than 4 million people had fled Syria alone, according to the U.N.

The ongoing crisis in Budapest and other parts of Europe shows how dissent has made inroads to the societal structure that strained the cordial relationship of EU member nations. The incident also personifies how governments can turn a blind eye to the sufferings of mankind, revealing a dark side of the continent.

However, the page “Syria is calling” brings back faith in humanity, with more than 16,000 people offering clothing, shelter, plane tickets and friendship. “I feel proud to see how many Icelanders are willing to open their homes and provide support and helping hand in these difficult times and I want to naturally do the same,” one among those 16,000 people commented while claiming to open his house for refugees.

As a result of this initiative, many countries such as Germany and Spain have also welcomed refugees to their homes. A similar Facebook group named “ Open Homes, Open Hearts ” was created by people in the United States on Wednesday.

However, William Bjarnason, MP Independence Party of Iceland, reported that allowing thousands of refugees into the country is not only complicated but also costly. In spite of all this, response to Björgvinsdóttir's page has been overwhelming, breaking the anti-immigrant attitude that has been surfacing around in Europe.

Contact the writer at feedback@ibtimes.com.au, or let us know what you think below.