Today, on World Refugee Day, Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee said while at the Auschwitz Memorial:

"Auschwitz survivors are remembering, especially on this World Refugee Day, what it is like to be a refugee facing a world that is petrified with fear, hatred and complacency. And they still know all too well what it feels like to be hunted down, imprisoned and deported in this jeering, hate-filled and complacent world. For this reason the survivors are appealing to Germany and Europe to keep these memories alive, and to face up to the distress of the people who are attempting to reach Europe with open eyes and open hearts. What is now happening on the seas surrounding Europe is a tragedy for us all, and it is scandalous how far-right extremists are making repeated efforts to seize on the general fears of many people in Europe and deliberately direct them towards refugees and strangers. We should never be complacent!"