(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency) BUDAPEST Hungary Dhu-AlQa'dah 23 1436 September 07 2015 SPA -- Hungary's Defense Minister Csaba Hende became one of the first political casualties of the Syrian refugee crisis on Monday according to UPI.
The minister resigned as his home country continues to face criticism for its handling of the crisis. The news came after political leaders in Hungary gathered for a national security meeting on Monday.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban a right-wing politician who has been critical of Europe's handling of the crisis immediately replaced Hende with Istvan Simicsko a member Orban's Fidesz party. Orban has pushed for the deployment of Hungarian troops to the border in order to stem the influx of refugees from the Middle East.
The political turmoil caused by the ongoing crisis is of no comparison to very real human costs associated with the crisis. Thousands of refugees desperately fleeing violence in Syria and elsewhere continue to arrive in Austria and Hungary and on the shores of Greece.
The majority of them arrive with hopes of reaching Germany. Both Germany and France have ramped up their efforts to welcome and accommodate refugees but the mass migration continues to tax the resources of less wealthy nations along the way.
Local municipalities in Greece have been overwhelmed by the arrival of refugees most of whom are coming from the shores of Turkey. Politicians in Mytilene the capital of Lesbos a Greek island with just 85000 inhabitants is pleading for help from the Greek government after more than 15000 refugees arrived on their beaches.
"Mytilene currently has 15000-17000 refugees and this is the official figure from all services" Yiannis Mouzalas a junior interior minister told To Vima radio. "We are placing emphasis here because the situation is on the verge of explosion."
Meanwhile heads of state in Western Europe are promising to take in more refugees. French president Francois Hollande said his country would house 24000 refugees over the next two years while Prime Minister David Cameron announced a five-year plan to resettle 20000 asylum seekers.
Additionally Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany which has so far been most accommodating and active in responding to the crisis pledged to set aside an additional $6.7 billion for refugee services. Germany is expected to take in some 800000 refugees by the end of 2015.
--SPA
23:29 LOCAL TIME 20:29 GMT
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