Like a modern-day exodus, Syrian refugees are flooding into Europe in search of better lives. They are fleeing bombings and deplorable conditions that jeopardize the livelihood of more than 50,000 civilian citizens.

Much like the Israelites fleeing Egypt, the Syrians suffer persecution and hostile conditions, specifically in Hungary, where Firas al-Aysa, one of 6,000 refugees passing through Vienna on Sunday, describe miserable conditions.

“Sometimes, they gave us no food, no water, the children were sick,” Aysa told New York Daily News. “But they didn’t care, it was very unhygeinic.”

Although many of the refugees stayed in Hungary and, after pressure from social activists, were provided water and food by volunteers only marked with a paper sign saying “Helper,” many are still on their way to the open arms of Germany and the UK.

What makes this a major global milestone is Syrian civilians as a whole saying “Screw it,” and getting out of an oppressive and deadly environment. It’s the equivalent of a woman finally escaping an abusive husband by more or less leaving him to suffocate in the monoxide in the garage; a tale of escape.

The main focus of every story so far involving the refugees has been the children, and it’s telling of a much bigger plan. Pictures of children drowning off the coast after a boat capsizes, children being prioritized with survival goods; they’re clearly putting the future of Syria in the hands of the children, and that is incredibly important. The refugees have given up on the established Syrian canon, and the new Syria is dispersed but strong.

After Hungary sent buses to pick up the worn-out refugees, things seemed amicable between the refugees and the countries responsible for taking them in like an orphan child. However, many of the migrants refused help because they expressed fears of being shipped back to places they were not comfortable going to.

Although Syria appears to be in shambles, the brave people who decided to move on to a brighter future have saved many of their children from a lifetime of fear, and therefore, Syria lives on in them. Any moment in history where culture is preserved is a victory for mankind.