Rallies have been held in several European and Australian cities to mark International Day of Action, demanding their governments do more to help refugees.
Saturday’s demonstrations – from Stockholm and Budapest to Athens and Madrid – came as a top UN official estimated that one million more Syrians could be displaced by the end of this year.
The UN humanitarian coordinator for Syria, Yacoub al-Hillo, stated something must be done to resolve the war or the exodus would continue as tens of thousands of Europeans held rallies in both support of and opposition to refugees.
Thousands marched through London waving placards saying “Refugee lives matter” and “No human being is illegal.”
Jeremy Corbyn, Britain’s newly elected Labour Party leader and veteran socialist, drew huge cheers when he addressed the crowd from the back of a truck.
“Open your hearts and open your minds towards supporting people who are desperate, who need somewhere safe to live, want to contribute to our society, and are human beings just like all of us,” he stated.