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Migrants begin arriving in Austria from Hungary | Migrants begin arriving in Austria from Hungary |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Migrants are arriving in Austria after Hungary's surprise move to provide buses for them. | Migrants are arriving in Austria after Hungary's surprise move to provide buses for them. |
For days, Hungary had blocked migrants from travelling by train to Western Europe, saying it was obliged to register them, sparking angry scenes. | |
Austria says it has agreed with Germany to let the arrivals cross their borders. | Austria says it has agreed with Germany to let the arrivals cross their borders. |
European Union states are struggling to agree on how to deal with an unprecedented surge in migrants. | European Union states are struggling to agree on how to deal with an unprecedented surge in migrants. |
Buses began arriving at Keleti station, central Budapest, late on Friday, which for days has become a makeshift camp for thousands of migrants. | Buses began arriving at Keleti station, central Budapest, late on Friday, which for days has become a makeshift camp for thousands of migrants. |
Vehicles were also sent to collect hundreds who broke away from the camp to walk on foot along the main road to Austria. | |
When the buses arrived, some argued with officials, fearful they would be arrested rather than sent to Germany, the BBC's Matthew Price reported. | |
But later, small groups began crossing the border, with some Austrians putting up welcome signs. | |
"I feel [at] home," said Ayaz Morad, one of the first to arrive. "This is a great land - nice people, nice government." | |
Many of the migrants hope to travel on to Germany, which has said it expects to take in 800,000 people this year. | |
The Hungarian government said it had despatched the buses so that the country's transport network would not become "paralysed". | The Hungarian government said it had despatched the buses so that the country's transport network would not become "paralysed". |
Austria's Chancellor Werner Faymann said that after talks with his German counterpart Angela Merkel, the two countries would allow in the migrants due to the "emergency situation" on Hungary's borders. | Austria's Chancellor Werner Faymann said that after talks with his German counterpart Angela Merkel, the two countries would allow in the migrants due to the "emergency situation" on Hungary's borders. |
But he said he expected Hungary to respect any EU quotas for asylum seekers - something Hungary, along with the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, has rejected. | But he said he expected Hungary to respect any EU quotas for asylum seekers - something Hungary, along with the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, has rejected. |
Hungary has become a major transit nation for people fleeing the Middle East and Africa, seeking to reach north and west Europe. | Hungary has become a major transit nation for people fleeing the Middle East and Africa, seeking to reach north and west Europe. |
The Hungarian parliament on Friday approved tougher border controls and penalties for migrants, underlining divisions within the EU on how to tackle the crisis. | |
Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has said the surge in arrivals was "Germany's problem", since that was where most people wanted to go. | |
But Chancellor Merkel has called for refugees to be fairly divided among EU members. | |
At the scene: Matthew Price, BBC News | |
Our correspondent has been walking with hundreds of migrants who attempted to travel on foot to Austria. |