Hostel in Hungary opens for Ukrainian refugees

Nearly 300 Ukrainian refugees, mostly women and children, are being housed in a hostel outside the city center of Hungary's capital.

As tens of thousands of refugees began entering Hungary since Russia military operation, non-profit organization Migration Aid rented an entire five-story building in Budapest — initially designed as a workers' hostel — to provide temporary accommodation for those escaping the conflict.

Hungary's government, which firmly opposes immigration and has refused to accept asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa, took strong steps to prevent refugees from entering the country and limited the ability of civic organizations to assist them. Most guests of the hostel stay for two or three nights and use the hostel as a waypoint where they can rest and regroup before moving on to further destinations in other countries.