Budapest – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, has opened an exhibition in Budapest portraying Hungary’s rich migration experience from 1956 to the present. The 10-day show, which runs from 02/05 to 12/05, takes an intimate look at the personal stories and decision-making behind migration to and from Hungary through an array of souvenirs, memories and artwork.

Focusing on three groups of migrants with stories converging on Hungary, Faces of the Hungarian Migration Experience delves into the personal, historical and economic context of foreigners living in Hungary, of Hungarians who migrated to other European Union member states, and Hungarian refugees from the 1956 Uprising. Balázs Lehel, Head of IOM’s Office in Hungary, said that he hoped the exhibition will provide an eye-opening space for intercultural dialogue and public participation. 

“During our everyday work we’ve seen that the stories and insights of migrants show more commonality than is often recognized. Illustrating these similarities through different personal experiences across time and circumstance can be very powerful and unifying,” said Lehel.  “Seeing our common experience through the lens of past and present migration stories, here uniquely focused on one country, can help to reduce harmful migration-related stereotypes,” he added. 

Showcasing a wide range of items that tell a story to help visitors and participants understand the human fates connected to the experience of migration, we are reminded of the 1956 Hungarian refugees who talk about their difficult journey out of Hungary after the uprising, and their new lives in the countries that accepted and gave them refuge. We also learn about Amir who, in 2010, was forced to flee for political reasons from Iran across several countries with his worldly possessions collected in a backpack. Today, he is a Hungarian citizen and lives in Budapest with his Hungarian wife and their daughter.   

“For me home is the place where I feel free. If you’re not free, if you’re under oppression, you don’t feel like you’re home,” he said.  We get to know the story of a Hungarian girl who lost her job and apartment at the same time that Amir left Iran. She decided to move to Ireland to make a new start. The event will also feature guided tours, discussions on the life of Muslims in Budapest, workshops to improve intercultural communication skills among secondary school students, and the screening of a documentary on the stories of Hungarians who recently left the country. The exhibition is being held at the Pintér Galéria, 3 Markó street, Budapest, 1055, Hungary. The Hungarian exhibition is part of the “Outcast Europe” project funded by the European Union’s “Europe for Citizens Programme”.  Similar exhibitions will be held over the next six months in Czechia, Serbia, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Greece.

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For further information please contact Balázs Lehel at IOM Budapest, Tel: +36 1 472 2500, Email: iombudapest@iom.int