In the spring, when Syrian refugees began walking across the Hungarian border into Austria, they came in a steady stream of about 150 a day. The Austrian government responded by erecting Red Cross tents in the middle of fields at a time when the country was experiencing the coldest and rainiest season on record. The damp penetrated the narrow cots; the grass flooded so quickly, the Red Cross had to lay planks on the ground to walk. At a tent city in Linz, two toilets were available for 140 men. In the face of such wretched conditions, everyday Austrians brought the refugees new shoes and raincoats. See more…