What happens to the homeless during the curfew?
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Hungarians observe the curfew, but what about those who have nowhere to go, since they already live outside? According to reports, the authorities are very lenient; they know they can’t stand guard at every blanket that is laid out.
Since Wednesday, there has been a curfew throughout the country. No one can be on the street between 8 pm and 5 am, with a few exceptions. These include workers, dog walkers, and professional athletes. Most people follow these rules. However, the limitation does not apply to those who do not have a home. Tens of thousands of homeless people live in Hungary, thousands of them have no cover over their heads. The hostels are full, and they feel more secure on the streets anyway, as theft and infection are common in the hostels.
Police also seem to be aware of this. According to the homeless, the police are exceptionally humane. Nlc.hu talked to six homeless people about their experiences.
Gyula
He’s been on the streets for six months. His apartment was taken. Public domainers took a lot of his things, such as books, blankets, boxes. “They’ve left me alone, they know I’m a good person, that I keep everything around me clean,” Gyula said.
István
Police disturbed him twice yesterday. He had to leave the area. “I went to another subway.” He can’t do anything else. Nearby is his younger brother, with whom they help each other. According to István, the police are cool, they know each other. The police just warn him, he hasn’t been punished since the epidemic. He avoids the hostel because of bugs. He is also afraid of theft, but he is not scared of the coronavirus.
It’s very re-assuring to have such positive inputs regarding the policmen as for the homeless, thank you Andràs. I sometimes wondered how would they be managed and kind of happy to hear that it’s business as usual, for them at least.
May we never forget those less fortunate than us, in our words, in our thoughts, in our deeds and our actions.