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| Refugee crisis: Austrians greet thousands off Hungarian buses - live updates | Refugee crisis: Austrians greet thousands off Hungarian buses - live updates |
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| 10.27am BST10:27 | |
| The Guardian’s Phoebe Greenwood spoke to Munich volunteers heading to Budapest yesterday. If you’re a refugee who’s crossed the Mediterranean this summer - or you’re one of those who’s helping refugees, we’d like to hear from you. We’ll feature your stories in our reporting. | |
| 10.20am BST10:20 | |
| Finnish prime minister offers his home to refugees | |
| Finland’s Prime Minister Juha Sipila has said he would offer his home, situated over 500 kilometres north of the capital Helsinki in the Kempele area, to refugees. | |
| Sipila said the house was rarely used at the moment and would house asylum seekers from the start of next year. He told national broadcaster YLE: “We should all take a look in the mirror and ask how we can help”. | |
| He also said that an EU plan to distribute 120,000 refugees arriving in Greece, Italy and Hungary to countries around the union should be voluntary and hoped Finland could show an example. “I hope this becomes some kind of people’s movement that will inspire many others to shoulder part of the burden in this refugee housing crisis,” he said. | |
| Finland’s government yesterday doubled its estimate for the number of asylum seekers in the country this year to up to 30,000. | |
| Updated at 10.23am BST | |
| 10.13am BST10:13 | |
| German police say they are expecting up to 10,000 refugees today | |
| German police say they are expecting up to 10,000 refugees to come to the country from Hungary via Austria today. Police spokesman Stefan Sonntag told Reuters: “We don’t have reliable figures yet, but we are expecting between 5,000 and 10,000 refugees today.” He added officials were still in the progress of coordinating in order to cope with the number of refugees. | |
| As a reminder, German officials said they felt it was necessary to take responsibility for the refugees given Hungary’s apparent inability to manage the challenge. But they emphasised that Hungary, as an EU member and first port of call for many migrants, needed to do more to ensure that new arrivals filed for asylum there rather than travel deeper into Europe. German government spokesman Georg Streiter said: | |
| Because of the emergency situation on the Hungarian border, Austria and Germany have agreed to allow the refugees to travel onward in this case. It’s an attempt to help solve an emergency situation. But we continue to expect Hungary to meet its European obligations. | |
| German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has led calls for other EU members to shelter migrants as potential refugees, particularly those fleeing civil war in Syria, said in comments published Saturday that her country would observe no legal limit on the number of asylum seekers it might take. She told the Funke consortium of newspapers: | |
| The right to political asylum has no limits on the number of asylum seekers. As a strong, economically healthy country we have the strength to do what is necessary and ensure that every asylum seeker gets a fair hearing. | |
| The 28-nation EU is sharply divided over what to do with the tremendous amount of refugees fleeing war and turmoil across the Middle East and North Africa. | |
| Germany has led efforts to open the doors, saying it would accept 800,000 refugees this year and backing plans for mandatory quotas in the EU. | |
| But Hungary, along with many of the bloc’s newer eastern members, flatly opposes quotas and insists current rules should be applied whereby asylum seekers must be processed in the country they first arrive in, not the country they want to go to. | |
| Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the problems in Hungary had been caused by “the failed migration policy of the EU and ... irresponsible statements made by some European politicians.” He did not elaborate but Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blamed Germany for encouraging people to risk their lives coming to Europe with its promise of more places for refugees. | |
| Updated at 10.14am BST | |
| 9.59am BST09:59 | |
| Austrian Foreign Minister says Hungary march was a “wake up call” | |
| Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has said that the plight of thousands of migrants stranded in Hungary, now being taken into his country, was a “wake up call” for Europe. While arriving for informal talks with his EU peers earlier this morning, Kurz said: | |
| This has to be an eye opener about how messed up the situation in Europe is now. | |
| I hope that this serves as a wake up call that (the situation) cannot continue. | |
| Thank god, the problem could be solved yesterday evening in a humanitarian way. | |
| Anyone who believes that you can sit out this problem is wrong. | |
| Austrian police spokesman Helmut Marban told reporters about 4,000 migrants had crossed into Austria from Hungary by mid-morning. | |
| Vienna official Wolfgan Mueller added that some 800 people had already arrived in Vienna and then left on Germany-bound trains. He estimated that about 3,000 migrants would come to Vienna from the border during Saturday. | |
| Updated at 10.00am BST | |
| 9.47am BST09:47 | 9.47am BST09:47 |
| More British people have now signed up to welcome Syrians into their homes than the 4,000 additional refugees David Cameron has pledged to resettle. The initiative, run by community campaign groups Citizens UK and Avaaz, the world’s largest and most powerful online activist network, has the backing of some thousands of people, including doctors, teachers, social workers, psychotherapists, counsellors and community organisers who have offered practical resettlement support. Click here for the latest number and to read comments from people on why they want to volunteer. | More British people have now signed up to welcome Syrians into their homes than the 4,000 additional refugees David Cameron has pledged to resettle. The initiative, run by community campaign groups Citizens UK and Avaaz, the world’s largest and most powerful online activist network, has the backing of some thousands of people, including doctors, teachers, social workers, psychotherapists, counsellors and community organisers who have offered practical resettlement support. Click here for the latest number and to read comments from people on why they want to volunteer. |
| Avaaz is now calling on British MPs to hold a full day debate on the refugee crisis when they return to the Commons on Monday. The petition has been signed by 60,000 people so far and can be viewed here. Sam Barratt, Campaign Director at Avaaz, said: | Avaaz is now calling on British MPs to hold a full day debate on the refugee crisis when they return to the Commons on Monday. The petition has been signed by 60,000 people so far and can be viewed here. Sam Barratt, Campaign Director at Avaaz, said: |
| This outpouring of public compassion shows the best of Britain, and has shamed the government into action. There is now one volunteer offering a room or assistance for every refugee David Cameron will allow into the country. Britain must take in tens of thousands urgently and support a comprehensive EU agreement. | This outpouring of public compassion shows the best of Britain, and has shamed the government into action. There is now one volunteer offering a room or assistance for every refugee David Cameron will allow into the country. Britain must take in tens of thousands urgently and support a comprehensive EU agreement. |
| 9.33am BST09:33 | 9.33am BST09:33 |
| Last week, we reported that while British politicians debated whether the UK would accept more refugees from Syria, the British public made a decision that their help could wait no longer. A day after shocking pictures were published of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose lifeless body was washed up on a Turkish beach, tens of thousands of people across the country were signing petitions, donating to NGOs, preparing to drive truckloads of supplies to Calais or volunteering to take asylum-seekers into their homes. | Last week, we reported that while British politicians debated whether the UK would accept more refugees from Syria, the British public made a decision that their help could wait no longer. A day after shocking pictures were published of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose lifeless body was washed up on a Turkish beach, tens of thousands of people across the country were signing petitions, donating to NGOs, preparing to drive truckloads of supplies to Calais or volunteering to take asylum-seekers into their homes. |
| Several major charities reported a big spike in calls and emails from people wanting to know how they could help. “The number is up more than 70% over the past 24 hours,” said Caroline Anning of Save the Children. “Most want to donate to refugee children: money, or time, or clothes or food. They were such compelling pictures, even when people are familiar with the broader refugee story.” | Several major charities reported a big spike in calls and emails from people wanting to know how they could help. “The number is up more than 70% over the past 24 hours,” said Caroline Anning of Save the Children. “Most want to donate to refugee children: money, or time, or clothes or food. They were such compelling pictures, even when people are familiar with the broader refugee story.” |
| A spokeswoman for the British Red Cross said it too had received “many more calls” following the pictures’ publication. | A spokeswoman for the British Red Cross said it too had received “many more calls” following the pictures’ publication. |
| The Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), whose independently-run rescue boats in the Mediterranean have saved more than 10,000 lives, said it had seen a 15-fold increase in donations in 24 hours. | The Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), whose independently-run rescue boats in the Mediterranean have saved more than 10,000 lives, said it had seen a 15-fold increase in donations in 24 hours. |
| Many local refugee appeals also exceeded their targets many times over. The Coach and Horses pub in Soho set out to raise £5,000 “to give the Calais migrants a decent meal, because British values are about respect, dignity, kindness”; by Thursday night it had a total of nearly £7,000. KentforCalais, a local initiative in Gravesend, asked for £1,000 and got £10,000. | Many local refugee appeals also exceeded their targets many times over. The Coach and Horses pub in Soho set out to raise £5,000 “to give the Calais migrants a decent meal, because British values are about respect, dignity, kindness”; by Thursday night it had a total of nearly £7,000. KentforCalais, a local initiative in Gravesend, asked for £1,000 and got £10,000. |
| Read more about those efforts below. | Read more about those efforts below. |
| Related: Britons rally to help people fleeing war and terror in Middle East | Related: Britons rally to help people fleeing war and terror in Middle East |
| 9.19am BST09:19 | 9.19am BST09:19 |
| Patrick Kingsley | Patrick Kingsley |
| The view Marwan had through the bus window was mainly of drizzle. His ‘seat’ was just a few inches of the step next to the bus door. He’d walked for much of Friday in the rain, and he hadn’t slept all night. And yet when dawn rose on Saturday he had significant cause to be cheerful. “I’m happy,” smiled the 19-year-old electrical engineering student. “Finally I’m getting out of Hungary.” | The view Marwan had through the bus window was mainly of drizzle. His ‘seat’ was just a few inches of the step next to the bus door. He’d walked for much of Friday in the rain, and he hadn’t slept all night. And yet when dawn rose on Saturday he had significant cause to be cheerful. “I’m happy,” smiled the 19-year-old electrical engineering student. “Finally I’m getting out of Hungary.” |
| And Marwan was not the only one. After months of arresting refugees as they tried to cross Hungary, and after days of blocking them from trains to northern Europe, the Hungarian government finally agreed late on Friday night to take thousands of them in a convoy to the Austrian border. The first arrived at around 3am. But by 9am there were still dozens of co-opted blue commuter buses snaking their way through western Hungary, some still 60km from Austria. | And Marwan was not the only one. After months of arresting refugees as they tried to cross Hungary, and after days of blocking them from trains to northern Europe, the Hungarian government finally agreed late on Friday night to take thousands of them in a convoy to the Austrian border. The first arrived at around 3am. But by 9am there were still dozens of co-opted blue commuter buses snaking their way through western Hungary, some still 60km from Austria. |
| The Hungarians were shamed into action after around a thousand people, frustrated at being banned from the trains, suddenly began marching on Friday from Budapest towards Austria. It was dubbed the March of Hope. But it ended in a more forlorn fashion, with a large crowd of refugees camped near a motorway under heavy rain. | The Hungarians were shamed into action after around a thousand people, frustrated at being banned from the trains, suddenly began marching on Friday from Budapest towards Austria. It was dubbed the March of Hope. But it ended in a more forlorn fashion, with a large crowd of refugees camped near a motorway under heavy rain. |
| Embarrassed by the squalid scenes, or frustrated at the effect it had on traffic, officials finally caved, and sent a convoy of municipal buses to cart the sodden walkers the rest of the way to the border. But at the stragglers’ makeshift camp, the buses did not arrive until 4:45am, leaving its members shivering in the drizzle and darkness for more than six hours. Some of them only had shorts and t-shirts. “I just don’t understand,” said Marwan, who’s travelling with an Iraqi called Ahmad, who fled Isis-held Mosul last month. “We come from a country that has been torn apart by war. We’re not criminals and we don’t want to sabotage anything.” | Embarrassed by the squalid scenes, or frustrated at the effect it had on traffic, officials finally caved, and sent a convoy of municipal buses to cart the sodden walkers the rest of the way to the border. But at the stragglers’ makeshift camp, the buses did not arrive until 4:45am, leaving its members shivering in the drizzle and darkness for more than six hours. Some of them only had shorts and t-shirts. “I just don’t understand,” said Marwan, who’s travelling with an Iraqi called Ahmad, who fled Isis-held Mosul last month. “We come from a country that has been torn apart by war. We’re not criminals and we don’t want to sabotage anything.” |
| Despite the presence of local volunteers, a less friendly sort of Hungarian regularly drives past. “I hope you die,” comes a familiar refrain from a passing car. “And your mother too.” | Despite the presence of local volunteers, a less friendly sort of Hungarian regularly drives past. “I hope you die,” comes a familiar refrain from a passing car. “And your mother too.” |
| At last, just as the 100 shivering in the lay-by began to lose hope, a trio of coaches creaked to a halt. Earlier, some had said they wouldn’t get onboard, suspicious of a Hungarian administration that earlier this week took refugees to camps despite promising to take them to the border. “Who’s organising it, the Hungarians?” asked Ali, another Syrian, earlier in the night. “Forget it, I’m walking.” | At last, just as the 100 shivering in the lay-by began to lose hope, a trio of coaches creaked to a halt. Earlier, some had said they wouldn’t get onboard, suspicious of a Hungarian administration that earlier this week took refugees to camps despite promising to take them to the border. “Who’s organising it, the Hungarians?” asked Ali, another Syrian, earlier in the night. “Forget it, I’m walking.” |
| But several hours later, almost everyone was too sodden and too tired to care. They squeezed into every available space in the buses, people standing in the aisles, sitting on the steps, and crushed against the doors. | But several hours later, almost everyone was too sodden and too tired to care. They squeezed into every available space in the buses, people standing in the aisles, sitting on the steps, and crushed against the doors. |
| Within minutes a silence hung across the coach as most passengers fell asleep. For the Afghans, this would be their eighth border crossing since leaving home; for the Syrians, it would be the sixth. They were already shattered. But the tipping point has been Hungary, where they neither are welcomed, nor want to settle, and where all they are nevertheless inexplicably forced to spend the most time dealing with police and bureaucracy. | Within minutes a silence hung across the coach as most passengers fell asleep. For the Afghans, this would be their eighth border crossing since leaving home; for the Syrians, it would be the sixth. They were already shattered. But the tipping point has been Hungary, where they neither are welcomed, nor want to settle, and where all they are nevertheless inexplicably forced to spend the most time dealing with police and bureaucracy. |
| When dawn breaks, the mood brightens slightly. In the daylight, people can see the land they’re passing, and Austria seems a tangible possibility. At every toilet break, the passengers disembark to see that their bus is just one part of a thin blue line of coaches that stretches into the distance. After days of limbo in camps and train stations of Hungary, this is visible proof that their departure is now an inevitability. | When dawn breaks, the mood brightens slightly. In the daylight, people can see the land they’re passing, and Austria seems a tangible possibility. At every toilet break, the passengers disembark to see that their bus is just one part of a thin blue line of coaches that stretches into the distance. After days of limbo in camps and train stations of Hungary, this is visible proof that their departure is now an inevitability. |
| Even a temporary engine failure does not dampen their spirits. They use the time to take selfies outside the bus. Ahmad, who earlier was grumbling about the Hungarian police, now only has thoughts for the future. “The only thing that matters,” he says, is “that I’m going to Austria.” | Even a temporary engine failure does not dampen their spirits. They use the time to take selfies outside the bus. Ahmad, who earlier was grumbling about the Hungarian police, now only has thoughts for the future. “The only thing that matters,” he says, is “that I’m going to Austria.” |
| 8.46am BST08:46 | 8.46am BST08:46 |
| The Guardian’s migration correspondent, Patrick Kingsley, was with the marchers overnight when they were finally picked up by buses. He reported that there had been initial confusion, then suspicion at where the marchers were being taken, but most of them eventually boarded the buses. Many smiled, bidding goodbye to Hungarian volunteers who had brought food and water in recent days. | The Guardian’s migration correspondent, Patrick Kingsley, was with the marchers overnight when they were finally picked up by buses. He reported that there had been initial confusion, then suspicion at where the marchers were being taken, but most of them eventually boarded the buses. Many smiled, bidding goodbye to Hungarian volunteers who had brought food and water in recent days. |
| In Hungary, at one point along the road, a group of stragglers waited in the drizzle for a bus after falling behind the main pack of people who had set off on foot. “Some of them were vomiting,” said Kolozs, a 39-year-old Hungarian engineer who tied a blanket between a tree and a car to shelter the refugees. “They are women and children – I’m amazed they got this far.” | In Hungary, at one point along the road, a group of stragglers waited in the drizzle for a bus after falling behind the main pack of people who had set off on foot. “Some of them were vomiting,” said Kolozs, a 39-year-old Hungarian engineer who tied a blanket between a tree and a car to shelter the refugees. “They are women and children – I’m amazed they got this far.” |
| Some people cruised past in cars shouting abuse, calling them “Saddam Hussein” and “scum”. The Syrians were restrained in response. “People are people,” said Manoli, a 19-year-old electrical engineering student. “You can’t convince some of them.” | Some people cruised past in cars shouting abuse, calling them “Saddam Hussein” and “scum”. The Syrians were restrained in response. “People are people,” said Manoli, a 19-year-old electrical engineering student. “You can’t convince some of them.” |
| On board one of the buses to Austria, exhausted migrants veered between concern and relief. Many were nervous after Hungary tried to transport a trainload of migrants heading for Austria into a camp on Thursday. Others did not need to be asked twice. | On board one of the buses to Austria, exhausted migrants veered between concern and relief. Many were nervous after Hungary tried to transport a trainload of migrants heading for Austria into a camp on Thursday. Others did not need to be asked twice. |
| v miserable situ for stragglers of Hungary's refugee March. they stopped 10km back. no buses for them. just rain pic.twitter.com/XMC1eXSOnO | v miserable situ for stragglers of Hungary's refugee March. they stopped 10km back. no buses for them. just rain pic.twitter.com/XMC1eXSOnO |
| At 4;45am the buses for these people have finally arrived. everyone v cold and wet #hungarymarch pic.twitter.com/z61k8nRv7a | At 4;45am the buses for these people have finally arrived. everyone v cold and wet #hungarymarch pic.twitter.com/z61k8nRv7a |
| And the buses are off #hungary pic.twitter.com/jVwPOzhvq8 | And the buses are off #hungary pic.twitter.com/jVwPOzhvq8 |
| Bus still 90 mins from border. Next to me is Ali, who escaped Mosul, & Marwan, whose home was destroyed in Deraa pic.twitter.com/TZyemSByqw | Bus still 90 mins from border. Next to me is Ali, who escaped Mosul, & Marwan, whose home was destroyed in Deraa pic.twitter.com/TZyemSByqw |
| This line of buses is still 60km from the Austrian border. #hungarymarch pic.twitter.com/wggtGgMapR | This line of buses is still 60km from the Austrian border. #hungarymarch pic.twitter.com/wggtGgMapR |
| 8.46am BST08:46 | 8.46am BST08:46 |
| Morning summary | Morning summary |
| Nadia Khomami | Nadia Khomami |
| Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the worst refugee crisis to have hit Europe since the second world war. As well as rolling news, we will be focusing on various fundraising efforts that are going on in the UK to help individuals and families who are making the journey, or are in various camps across the continent. | Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the worst refugee crisis to have hit Europe since the second world war. As well as rolling news, we will be focusing on various fundraising efforts that are going on in the UK to help individuals and families who are making the journey, or are in various camps across the continent. |
| On Friday, about 1,200 people left Budapest’s Keleti station in a sudden exodus when the Austrian and German governments agreed to receive them. These included the young and old, some in wheelchairs or on crutches, others barefoot, some with children in buggies, others with toddlers on their shoulders. They had been sleeping in the station for several days and were barred by authorities from boarding international trains. They set off westwards along the Hungarian M1 early on Friday evening, on foot and in cars, aiming to reach Vienna and Munich. | On Friday, about 1,200 people left Budapest’s Keleti station in a sudden exodus when the Austrian and German governments agreed to receive them. These included the young and old, some in wheelchairs or on crutches, others barefoot, some with children in buggies, others with toddlers on their shoulders. They had been sleeping in the station for several days and were barred by authorities from boarding international trains. They set off westwards along the Hungarian M1 early on Friday evening, on foot and in cars, aiming to reach Vienna and Munich. |
| Later in the night, Hungarian authorities announced they would provide buses to take the refugees to the Austrian border and a further embarkation began in Budapest, where many were still camped. By 3am (local time) news channels and social media were showing images of people being met by Austrian authorities at the border town of Nickelsdorf as the first buses arrived. As dawn broke on Saturday, Austrian police said 2,000 people had arrived at the border, with many more likely to follow during the day. Trains were being laid on to take them from Nickelsdorf to Vienna. | Later in the night, Hungarian authorities announced they would provide buses to take the refugees to the Austrian border and a further embarkation began in Budapest, where many were still camped. By 3am (local time) news channels and social media were showing images of people being met by Austrian authorities at the border town of Nickelsdorf as the first buses arrived. As dawn broke on Saturday, Austrian police said 2,000 people had arrived at the border, with many more likely to follow during the day. Trains were being laid on to take them from Nickelsdorf to Vienna. |
| Read our report of all that happened overnight below. | Read our report of all that happened overnight below. |
| Related: First refugees arrive from Hungary after Austria and Germany open borders | Related: First refugees arrive from Hungary after Austria and Germany open borders |
| Meanwile, here’s a roundup of all the other developments from yesterday: | Meanwile, here’s a roundup of all the other developments from yesterday: |
| If you are out and about today and see any collections or fundraising efforts going on – or if you know of particularly interesting things people are doing to try to help – don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m available via email on nadia.khomami@theguardian.com, on Twitter @nadiakhomami, and I’ll be keeping an eye on your comments below the line (comments will open as soon as our moderators are available). | If you are out and about today and see any collections or fundraising efforts going on – or if you know of particularly interesting things people are doing to try to help – don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m available via email on nadia.khomami@theguardian.com, on Twitter @nadiakhomami, and I’ll be keeping an eye on your comments below the line (comments will open as soon as our moderators are available). |
| Updated at 9.00am BST | Updated at 9.00am BST |