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Budapest station reopens but no trains running to western Europe Hungarian police stop train on way to Austrian border
(about 1 hour later)
About 1,000 people hoping to travel to western Europe have crammed on to a train at Budapest’s Keleti station after a two-day Hungarian police blockade of the station’s entrances ended. Hungarian police have stopped a train bound for the Austrian border, sparking fears that some of the people on board were being taken to a refugee camp an hour from the capital.
After repeated announcements that the train would not be departing, most of the passengers – prospective migrants and refugees – alighted but remained on the platform. Related: Refugee crisis: what can you do to help?
Public address announcements in Hungarian and English told the passengers that services to western Europe had been suspended from Keleti station “indefinitely”. The train leaving Budapest’s Keleti station on Thursday was the first to depart after the end of a two-day police blockade of the station that prompted up to 3,000 people trying to travel to western Europe to camp outside.
About 30 police officers arrived and lined up along an adjacent platform, spaced a few metres apart. People were still hanging out of the doors of the stationary train despite being told to get off. The station’s reopening caused chaotic scenes as hundreds of people rushed to board a train waiting on the platform, before repeated announcements were made over the public address system that the train would not be leaving.
There were bewildered and exhausted-looking families with young children, many of whom have been camped out for days in a makeshift refugee camp below the station. People were carrying luggage and fathers carried young children on their shoulders. The train did eventually depart at about 10am (1100 BST), heading to Sopron, a city near the Austrian border. But, according to Reuters, it was halted at the town of Bicske, where Hungary has a reception centre, and passengers who were deemed to be refugees were told to get off. Other passengers were allowed to board a replacement train.
One would-be passenger, Waleed, 40, from Syria, said: “I have been travelling for 24 days. I paid 200,000 Syrian pounds to leave Syria. Why? Because I escaped from war, bombs, bullets. Why is there no train?” The people who were ordered to disembark banged on the train windows from the outside shouting “No camp, no camp”. About 50 riot police were lined up near the train. One carriage was emptied by police and five more carriages carrying refugees were still standing at the station.
Related: Hungary closes main Budapest station to refugees
Earlier at Keleti station, bewildered and exhausted-looking families with young children, many of whom have been camped out for days in a makeshift refugee camp below the station, sought information about when they could travel. People were carrying luggage and fathers carried young children on their shoulders.
One would-be passenger, Waleed, 40, from Syria, said: “I have been travelling for 24 days. I paid 200,000 Syrian pounds (£695) to leave Syria. Why? Because I escaped from war, bombs, bullets. Why is there no train?”
A statement from Hungarian Railways (MAV) said: “In the interests of rail travel security the company has decided that until further notice, direct train services from Budapest to western Europe will not be in service.”A statement from Hungarian Railways (MAV) said: “In the interests of rail travel security the company has decided that until further notice, direct train services from Budapest to western Europe will not be in service.”
An MAV spokesman told state news agency MTI that “passengers wanting to travel to western Europe can only take trains leaving from the northern and western borders and with an external rail company”.An MAV spokesman told state news agency MTI that “passengers wanting to travel to western Europe can only take trains leaving from the northern and western borders and with an external rail company”.
Police officers who remained at Keleti station expressed uncertainty over what would happen next. In answer to the question: “Does admitting migrants into the station mean that the train will depart soon, or are the police also unclear what to do in the coming hours?”, a police officer replied: “The second part of the sentence is correct.”Police officers who remained at Keleti station expressed uncertainty over what would happen next. In answer to the question: “Does admitting migrants into the station mean that the train will depart soon, or are the police also unclear what to do in the coming hours?”, a police officer replied: “The second part of the sentence is correct.”
Muhammad, a 25-year-old university student from Damascus who left Syria a month ago, was among those experiencing the chaos at Keleti. “We don’t want to take the trains because we are worried they will catch us and take our fingerprints at the border,” he said.
Muhammad told the Guardian he lost everything except the clothes on his back on a journey that included three terrifying hours in the Mediterranean when the dingy he was travelling in between Greece and Turkey capsized.
He was robbed of most of his money by a human trafficker and now has only a ticket to Germany that he can’t use. There is food for the families and kids, he said, tousling a young boy’s hair affectionately, but not much for the rest of us.
He did not want to give his last name for fear it could put family still in Syria at risk.
Many of the travellers are in family groups. Some kids are playing football on the platform but tempers are fraying in the heat and confusion and at least one young boy walked past in tears.
Keleti has become the focus of the migration crisis in Europe, as an estimated 3,000 people, mainly Syrian refugees, are camping in the underpass area in front of the station. Conditions have grown increasingly squalid despite the efforts of volunteers distributing water, food, medicine and disinfectants.Keleti has become the focus of the migration crisis in Europe, as an estimated 3,000 people, mainly Syrian refugees, are camping in the underpass area in front of the station. Conditions have grown increasingly squalid despite the efforts of volunteers distributing water, food, medicine and disinfectants.
Hungary initially opened the way on Monday, allowing more than 1,000 people to pack westbound trains before it withdrew the option 24 hours later. On Wednesday, the people camped outside Budapest station had threatened to walk the 105 miles (170km) to the Austrian border if police did not let them board trains to their desired destinations in Austria and Germany.
On Wednesday, the people camped outside Budapest station had threatened to walk the 105 miles (170km) to the Austrian border if police would not let them board trains to their desired destinations in Austria and Germany.
Hungary, which for months had permitted most applicants to head west after short bureaucratic delays, now says it won’t let more groups deeper into the European Union and claims EU backing for the move.Hungary, which for months had permitted most applicants to head west after short bureaucratic delays, now says it won’t let more groups deeper into the European Union and claims EU backing for the move.
There was no immediate explanation from police or other authorities of Thursday’s decisions, which came hours before the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, was to meet European Union leaders in Brussels to discuss the growing humanitarian crisis. There was no immediate explanation from police or other authorities of Thursday’s decisions, which came hours before the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, was to meet EU leaders in Brussels to discuss the growing humanitarian crisis.
Hungary announced this week that it would deploy troops to its southern border with Serbia from 15 September. A €100m, four-metre-high razor wire fence has failed to stem the flow of migrants: 2,061 were apprehended at the border on Wednesday. Hungary announced this week that it would deploy troops to its southern border with Serbia from 15 September. A €100m, four-metre-high razor wire fence has failed to stem the flow of people: 2,061 were apprehended at the border on Wednesday.
János Lázár, who heads Orbán’s office, has asked the German embassy in Budapest to help “unambiguously in clarifying which European legislation the German government regards as applicable in this situation, what legal procedures illegal migrants should expect if they wish to enter Germany, and what they can expect after such procedures”.
The German embassy should also “urgently provide information onsite to illegal migrants currently occupying public areas at Budapest’s Keleti railway station,” Lázár’s statement on Wednesday evening added.
Orbán told Germany’s FAZ that “Schengen [which enables passport-free travel between 26 European countries] only works if individual member states fulfil their obligations under the Schengen agreement. If we cannot protect our external borders, Schengen will be in danger. This cannot be wanted by anyone who seeks to defend Europe and who values the concept of Europe.”
“Let us not forget, however, that those arriving have been raised in another religion, and represent a radically different culture. Most of them are not Christians, but Muslims. This is an important question, because Europe and European identity is rooted in Christianity. If we lose sight of this, the idea of Europe could become a minority interest in its own continent,” Orbán added.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian authorities have detained 125 foreigners in the capital, Sofia, for illegally crossing into the country without submitting an asylum request, the interior ministry said on Thursday. Georgi Kostov, secretary general of the interior ministry, said they would be questioned and their applications might be granted.Meanwhile, Bulgarian authorities have detained 125 foreigners in the capital, Sofia, for illegally crossing into the country without submitting an asylum request, the interior ministry said on Thursday. Georgi Kostov, secretary general of the interior ministry, said they would be questioned and their applications might be granted.