How Syria sheltered refugees from Europe during World War II

It's amazing how quickly people forget history. The current situation with Middle Eastern refugees in Europe is not the first and, unfortunately, not the last in the history of mankind. Some 70 years ago, during the Second World War, tens of thousands of refugees followed the same path as people who are fleeing the conflict in Syria today. But instead of going to Europe, hoping to stay in Germany, they evacuated from there.

Why did the Europeans move east? Around 1944, the Office for Refugees and Rescue in the Middle East began opening camps in Syria, Egypt and Palestine. People were promised safe places where they could wait for the end of the war, and civilians of all ages and social groups were drawn to the long journey to the Middle East.

These photos were recently colorized by Sanna Dallaway to make the impressive footage of the mass exodus of the European population even more vivid. This is a reminder that we must accept those who need security, open our arms to people like us.

70 years ago, Europeans fled to the Middle East, and now it's the opposite. But will Europe respond to the kindness shown then?