This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34136823

The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Migration crisis: Budapest opens station after stand-off Migrant crisis 'a German problem' - Hungary's Orban
(about 1 hour later)
The main railway station in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, has opened its doors to hundreds of migrants after a two-day stand-off. Hungary's leader says the migrant crisis facing Europe is a "German problem" since Germany is where those arriving in the EU "would like to go".
But a public announcement said international trains to Western Europe were suspended "indefinitely". PM Viktor Orban said Hungary would not allow migrants to leave its territory without registering.
Hungary's anti-immigrant Prime Minister Viktor Orban said nobody could leave Hungary without being registered. His comments came as Hungarian authorities opened the main rail station in Budapest to hundreds of migrants after a two-day stand-off.
But international services from the station were indefinitely suspended.
EU rules place responsibility for assessing asylum claims on the country where a migrant first arrives.EU rules place responsibility for assessing asylum claims on the country where a migrant first arrives.
Many of the migrants currently in Hungary have been refusing to register there, in order to continue their journeys to Germany before seeking asylum.Many of the migrants currently in Hungary have been refusing to register there, in order to continue their journeys to Germany before seeking asylum.
The migrants stuck at Budapest's Keleti station were prevented from boarding trains on Tuesday and Wednesday. Some were involved in scuffles with police.
Follow our live updatesFollow our live updates
The migrants stuck at Budapest's Keleti station were prevented from boarding trains on Tuesday and Wednesday. Some were involved in scuffles with police.
They had bought tickets after Hungary briefly appeared to abandon efforts to register migrants, allowing huge numbers to board trains to Vienna and southern Germany.They had bought tickets after Hungary briefly appeared to abandon efforts to register migrants, allowing huge numbers to board trains to Vienna and southern Germany.
It was not immediately clear why authorities decided to let the migrants enter the station on Thursday morning. After the station opened on Thursday morning, a message on an announcement board said international tickets would be accepted on national trains. One train carrying migrants departed towards the Austrian border.
Many tried to cram into a train that was listed as destined for Munich, but the BBC's Nick Thorpe reports from the station that word was spreading that people would not be allowed to travel on to Germany. The number of migrants entering Europe has reached record levels, with 107,500 arriving in July alone. Germany expects to take in 800,000 migrants this year - four times last year's total.
A message on an announcement board said international tickets would be accepted on internal trains.
The number of migrants entering Europe has reached record levels, with 107,500 arriving in July alone.
Germany expects to take in 800,000 migrants this year - four times last year's total.
The surge in numbers has created tension and disagreement over EU migration policy. Germany has been prepared to accept large numbers of asylum seekers, but other countries have not.The surge in numbers has created tension and disagreement over EU migration policy. Germany has been prepared to accept large numbers of asylum seekers, but other countries have not.
Mr Orban, who was in Brussels for talks, said border control was "the number one issue". Mr Orban, who heads the anti-immigrant Fidesz party and was in Brussels for talks, said border control was "the number one issue".
"Hungarians are full of fear," he said. "People of Europe full of fear because they see that the European leaders, among them the prime ministers, are not able to control the situation.""Hungarians are full of fear," he said. "People of Europe full of fear because they see that the European leaders, among them the prime ministers, are not able to control the situation."
During a tense press conference with European Parliament President Martin Schulz, the Hungarian leader said the migrant crisis was "a German problem". During a tense press conference with European Parliament President Martin Schulz, the Hungarian leader said that "nobody would like to stay in Hungary, neither in Slovakia nor Poland nor Estonia.
"Nobody would like to stay in Hungary," he said. "Our job is only to register them." "All of them would like to go to Germany," he said. "Our job is only to register them."
Mr Orban wrote in an opinion piece published in Germany's Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung on Thursday that his country was being "overrun" with refugees who threatened to undermine the continent's Christian roots. Mr Schulz countered: "What we are seeing for the time being is egoism instead of common European sense.
"To say 'yeah, you know we have refugees all over in Europe but they all want to go to Germany and therefore we are not concerned' is effective, but wrong. And therefore I think we need a fair and just distribution."
European Council president Donald Tusk said on Thursday that EU countries should accept at least 100,000 asylum seekers between them, a sharp increase on a previous European Commission target of 40,000.
EU states instead so far committed to sharing some 32,000 asylum seekers from Italy and Greece.
The foreign minister of Luxembourg, which holds the EU presidency and will chair a meeting on 14 September to address the migrant crisis, called for a creation of a European refugee agency, with European officials deployed on borders in the event of a crisis.The foreign minister of Luxembourg, which holds the EU presidency and will chair a meeting on 14 September to address the migrant crisis, called for a creation of a European refugee agency, with European officials deployed on borders in the event of a crisis.
Jean Asselborn also said all EU countries should have the capacity to absorb refugees.Jean Asselborn also said all EU countries should have the capacity to absorb refugees.
"The EU's values must be valid through the union. No-one can say we don't want Muslims or blacks," he told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung."The EU's values must be valid through the union. No-one can say we don't want Muslims or blacks," he told German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
On Wednesday, Germany, Italy and France called for "fair distribution" of refugees throughout the EU.
The human cost of the crisis was also put into sharp focus on Wednesday when five children were among 12 migrants who drowned in Turkish waters while trying to reach Greece.The human cost of the crisis was also put into sharp focus on Wednesday when five children were among 12 migrants who drowned in Turkish waters while trying to reach Greece.
Images of the washed-up body of a three-year-old boy, who died alongside his mother and five-year-old brother, circulated widely on social media.Images of the washed-up body of a three-year-old boy, who died alongside his mother and five-year-old brother, circulated widely on social media.
Czech unease at migrant numberingCzech unease at migrant numbering
Five obstacles to an EU migrants dealFive obstacles to an EU migrants deal
Those who risk everything for a better lifeThose who risk everything for a better life
Migrants or refugees?
The word migrant is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "one who moves, either temporarily or permanently, from one place, area, or country of residence to another".
A refugee is, according to the 1951 Refugee Convention, any person who "owing to a well-founded fear" of persecution is outside their country of nationality and "unable" or "unwilling" to seek the protection of that country. To gain the status, one has to go through the legal process of claiming asylum.
The word migrant has traditionally been considered a neutral term, but some criticise the BBC and other media for using a word they say implies something voluntary, and should not be applied to people fleeing danger.
Battle over words to describe migrants
Are you in Budapest? Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? If you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist about these issues, you can get in touch with us in the following ways:Are you in Budapest? Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? If you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist about these issues, you can get in touch with us in the following ways:
Or comment here:Or comment here: