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| Refugee crisis: UK will resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years - as it happened | Refugee crisis: UK will resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees over five years - as it happened |
| (17 days later) | |
| 3.57pm BST | 3.57pm BST |
| 15:57 | 15:57 |
| UK to take 20,00 refugees | UK to take 20,00 refugees |
| Britain is to resettle up to 20,000 refugees from Syria over the next four and a half years, David Cameron has told the commons. He said Britain would take in vulnerable refugees only from camps in the region, and not those who have crossed the Mediterranean into Europe. | Britain is to resettle up to 20,000 refugees from Syria over the next four and a half years, David Cameron has told the commons. He said Britain would take in vulnerable refugees only from camps in the region, and not those who have crossed the Mediterranean into Europe. |
| He told MPs: “We will continue to show the world that this country is a country of extraordinary compassion, always standing up for our values and helping those in need.” | He told MPs: “We will continue to show the world that this country is a country of extraordinary compassion, always standing up for our values and helping those in need.” |
| The acting Labour leader, Harriet Harman, asked Cameron if the pledge to take 20,000 Syrian refugees over the course of this parliament meant just 4,000 this year? | The acting Labour leader, Harriet Harman, asked Cameron if the pledge to take 20,000 Syrian refugees over the course of this parliament meant just 4,000 this year? |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.00pm BST | at 4.00pm BST |
| 3.12pm BST | 3.12pm BST |
| 15:12 | 15:12 |
| David Cameron is preparing to make his statement to the Commons about Britain’s response to the crisis. Politics Live will be covering the details and reaction, so we’re going to pause this blog for now. | David Cameron is preparing to make his statement to the Commons about Britain’s response to the crisis. Politics Live will be covering the details and reaction, so we’re going to pause this blog for now. |
| 3.09pm BST | 3.09pm BST |
| 15:09 | 15:09 |
| Here’s a summary of the latest developments: | Here’s a summary of the latest developments: |
| 2.59pm BST | 2.59pm BST |
| 14:59 | 14:59 |
| Mona Mahmood | Mona Mahmood |
| Mona Mahmood has been speaking to a Mustafa Abu Yazen, from Damascus, a 40 year old father of two, forced to leave Syria after spending three months in detention. Speaking after making it to Germany he said: | Mona Mahmood has been speaking to a Mustafa Abu Yazen, from Damascus, a 40 year old father of two, forced to leave Syria after spending three months in detention. Speaking after making it to Germany he said: |
| ‘Is it worth it?’ I’ve been asking myself since leaving Azmir, in Turkey. I had to leave my wife and two kids in Damascus after being detained by the Syrian security for more than three months. I was accused of helping foreign terrorists, when I was just working for the German sportswear company Adidas. | ‘Is it worth it?’ I’ve been asking myself since leaving Azmir, in Turkey. I had to leave my wife and two kids in Damascus after being detained by the Syrian security for more than three months. I was accused of helping foreign terrorists, when I was just working for the German sportswear company Adidas. |
| The fear of being rearrested pushed take the bus to Azmir in Turkey. | The fear of being rearrested pushed take the bus to Azmir in Turkey. |
| I thought I could establish a new live in Turkey and bring my family. But after trying several odd jobs, the income was too low, and I hardly could meet my own daily expenses. | I thought I could establish a new live in Turkey and bring my family. But after trying several odd jobs, the income was too low, and I hardly could meet my own daily expenses. |
| Like most of the desperate Syrian refugees in Turkey, I had to find a smuggler who could take me to Greece for $1,200, by putting me in a boat with other 40 refugees at night. The good thing there is that Greeks understand the hardship of the Syrian people and they will tell you which way to take to get to Macedonia and then to Serbia. | Like most of the desperate Syrian refugees in Turkey, I had to find a smuggler who could take me to Greece for $1,200, by putting me in a boat with other 40 refugees at night. The good thing there is that Greeks understand the hardship of the Syrian people and they will tell you which way to take to get to Macedonia and then to Serbia. |
| The biggest hurdle was how to cross into Hungary without being fingerprinted. Me and my four friends took a taxi from the Hungarian border to Budapest, to try to dodge the authorities. It cost €1,250 but after two hours, the driver ordered us to leave the car immediately or he would inform the police. | The biggest hurdle was how to cross into Hungary without being fingerprinted. Me and my four friends took a taxi from the Hungarian border to Budapest, to try to dodge the authorities. It cost €1,250 but after two hours, the driver ordered us to leave the car immediately or he would inform the police. |
| We had to walk all the way to Budapest and stayed over night in a hotel for another €160. We then had to find another smuggler who could take us to Germany. They suck your blood for every move you take from one country to another. To get to Germany I paid another €1,000. Once, we got to the camp in Munich in, the German authorities confiscated €5,000 from us. They said, “As a refugee you should have only €500 with you, we will divide this money among other Syrian refugees.” It was a big shock for us as we had saving the money to send it to our families in Syria. | We had to walk all the way to Budapest and stayed over night in a hotel for another €160. We then had to find another smuggler who could take us to Germany. They suck your blood for every move you take from one country to another. To get to Germany I paid another €1,000. Once, we got to the camp in Munich in, the German authorities confiscated €5,000 from us. They said, “As a refugee you should have only €500 with you, we will divide this money among other Syrian refugees.” It was a big shock for us as we had saving the money to send it to our families in Syria. |
| The treatment in the camp in Munich was not that good as it was run by Turkish and Cypriot security men. I had to collect all my luggage and blankets every day at 8 am and wait till 4 pm to find if I would be transferred to another camp. | The treatment in the camp in Munich was not that good as it was run by Turkish and Cypriot security men. I had to collect all my luggage and blankets every day at 8 am and wait till 4 pm to find if I would be transferred to another camp. |
| Eventually, I was moved to another camp in Nuremberg where there are more than 250 Iraqi and Syrian refugees. The treatment is better but the procedures are so slow and nothing has been done since I arrived. Only today I got a check for €183 but my main concern is how to bring my family to Germany as soon as possible. And the Syrian security is still chasing me and they might take my wife if they don’t get hold of me. | Eventually, I was moved to another camp in Nuremberg where there are more than 250 Iraqi and Syrian refugees. The treatment is better but the procedures are so slow and nothing has been done since I arrived. Only today I got a check for €183 but my main concern is how to bring my family to Germany as soon as possible. And the Syrian security is still chasing me and they might take my wife if they don’t get hold of me. |
| The camp here is so noisy with Syrian young men spending the night singing and playing cards and shouting all night, in a way it is so hard to sleep. I’m not that sure about the future here and in fact I want to go to the Netherlands, where people say asylum procedures are quicker. But at the end of day, it is much safer to be here rather than being in Syrian under the mercy of the cruel Syrian army. | The camp here is so noisy with Syrian young men spending the night singing and playing cards and shouting all night, in a way it is so hard to sleep. I’m not that sure about the future here and in fact I want to go to the Netherlands, where people say asylum procedures are quicker. But at the end of day, it is much safer to be here rather than being in Syrian under the mercy of the cruel Syrian army. |
| 2.41pm BST | 2.41pm BST |
| 14:41 | 14:41 |
| The UN’s refugee agency has applauded Austria and Germany for its welcome of refugees, but suggested more will need to be done in the coming days and weeks. | The UN’s refugee agency has applauded Austria and Germany for its welcome of refugees, but suggested more will need to be done in the coming days and weeks. |
| In a blogpost the UNHCR’s Don Murray praised Austria, Germany and civil society groups for the way they had reacted to the crisis. He did not praise Hungary’s response and suggested that the mass busing of migrants through Hungary should be allowed to continue. | In a blogpost the UNHCR’s Don Murray praised Austria, Germany and civil society groups for the way they had reacted to the crisis. He did not praise Hungary’s response and suggested that the mass busing of migrants through Hungary should be allowed to continue. |
| As the Austrian buses arrived to pick up the stream of people – as many as 4,000 – the Hungarian government insisted there would be no more mass busings. It said this singular effort had been undertaken to protect the security of its transport network. For three days Hungary had cancelled all international trains serving Western Europe to frustrate refugee attempts to leave the country. | As the Austrian buses arrived to pick up the stream of people – as many as 4,000 – the Hungarian government insisted there would be no more mass busings. It said this singular effort had been undertaken to protect the security of its transport network. For three days Hungary had cancelled all international trains serving Western Europe to frustrate refugee attempts to leave the country. |
| At the Keleti train station where thousands had camped for days, there were only a few families left on Saturday. But more than 2,000 new refugees arrived in the country from Serbia overnight. | At the Keleti train station where thousands had camped for days, there were only a few families left on Saturday. But more than 2,000 new refugees arrived in the country from Serbia overnight. |
| 2.09pm BST | 2.09pm BST |
| 14:09 | 14:09 |
| Helena Smith | Helena Smith |
| Emergency measures are being taken in Greece to deal with the increasingly explosive situation on the far-flung Aegean island of Lesbos, according to our correspondent Helena Smith. | Emergency measures are being taken in Greece to deal with the increasingly explosive situation on the far-flung Aegean island of Lesbos, according to our correspondent Helena Smith. |
| Local officials on Lesbos are voicing growing concerns over what is fast becoming an increasingly chaotic – and, some say, inflammable situation – on the island. The sight of thousands of frustrated refugees and migrants marching on Mytilini, the capital, prompted Greece’s migration minister to announce that transit of the newcomers would be speeded up immediately.. | Local officials on Lesbos are voicing growing concerns over what is fast becoming an increasingly chaotic – and, some say, inflammable situation – on the island. The sight of thousands of frustrated refugees and migrants marching on Mytilini, the capital, prompted Greece’s migration minister to announce that transit of the newcomers would be speeded up immediately.. |
| Ioannis Mouzalas said at least two-thirds of the estimated 15-18,000 refugees and economic migrants currently stranded on the island would be ferried to Athens by the end of the week. “It is imperative that the burden is taken off the island,” he told the state run television channel ERT. Greece’s caretaker government has made handling of the crisis its top priority until general elections are held on 20 September. Visiting Lesvos on Sunday, Mouzalas, a physician with the aid organization Doctors of the World, announced a series of emergency measures to defuse tensions. | Ioannis Mouzalas said at least two-thirds of the estimated 15-18,000 refugees and economic migrants currently stranded on the island would be ferried to Athens by the end of the week. “It is imperative that the burden is taken off the island,” he told the state run television channel ERT. Greece’s caretaker government has made handling of the crisis its top priority until general elections are held on 20 September. Visiting Lesvos on Sunday, Mouzalas, a physician with the aid organization Doctors of the World, announced a series of emergency measures to defuse tensions. |
| Chaotic scenes followed two days of street fighting this morning as Afghans, Syrians and Iraqis, abandoning a camp outside the capital, attempted to occupy the port. By 2pm they had managed to cut the capital in two with riot police being rushed to the scene amid fears of looting. Newsites showed some carrying placards that read: “we will destroy the island.” | Chaotic scenes followed two days of street fighting this morning as Afghans, Syrians and Iraqis, abandoning a camp outside the capital, attempted to occupy the port. By 2pm they had managed to cut the capital in two with riot police being rushed to the scene amid fears of looting. Newsites showed some carrying placards that read: “we will destroy the island.” |
| Refugees and migrants have become increasingly frustrated by the slow pace of processing and the long waits they are having to endure to get proper documentation on Greek isles. Lesbos, which lies close to the Turkish coast, receives an estimated 1,000 desperate men, women and children fleeing war and deprivation every day. | Refugees and migrants have become increasingly frustrated by the slow pace of processing and the long waits they are having to endure to get proper documentation on Greek isles. Lesbos, which lies close to the Turkish coast, receives an estimated 1,000 desperate men, women and children fleeing war and deprivation every day. |
| The Greek government has now pledged to put on an extra two ships daily to transport the newcomers to the mainland and has deployed 60 coastguard officials and police to the island to expedite registration of the refugees. Once processed, newcomers will be immediately housed on the cruiseship, Eleftherios Venizelos, now pressed into service on a 24-hour basis. The liner, which will be running between Athens and Lesbos, has a capacity for 2,500 passengers. | The Greek government has now pledged to put on an extra two ships daily to transport the newcomers to the mainland and has deployed 60 coastguard officials and police to the island to expedite registration of the refugees. Once processed, newcomers will be immediately housed on the cruiseship, Eleftherios Venizelos, now pressed into service on a 24-hour basis. The liner, which will be running between Athens and Lesbos, has a capacity for 2,500 passengers. |
| Mouzalas said a new reception and registration centre would also be created in a disused army camp while conscripts had, as of today, been ordered to bake and handout 1,500 loaves of bread to the migrants and refugees. | Mouzalas said a new reception and registration centre would also be created in a disused army camp while conscripts had, as of today, been ordered to bake and handout 1,500 loaves of bread to the migrants and refugees. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.11pm BST | at 2.11pm BST |
| 1.54pm BST | 1.54pm BST |
| 13:54 | 13:54 |
| Ahead of David Cameron’s statement on refugees, dozens of MPs from all parties in the UK have taken part in a “Refugees Welcome” vigil outside Parliament. | Ahead of David Cameron’s statement on refugees, dozens of MPs from all parties in the UK have taken part in a “Refugees Welcome” vigil outside Parliament. |
| Joined colleagues at Parliament for a Vigil marking the Refugee Crisis #refugeeswelcome pic.twitter.com/hckeQ8UJuY | Joined colleagues at Parliament for a Vigil marking the Refugee Crisis #refugeeswelcome pic.twitter.com/hckeQ8UJuY |
| Moving cross-party vigil fir refugees led by Speakers Chaplain #refugeeswelcome pic.twitter.com/6CP14xrMGV | Moving cross-party vigil fir refugees led by Speakers Chaplain #refugeeswelcome pic.twitter.com/6CP14xrMGV |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.12pm BST | at 2.12pm BST |
| 1.44pm BST | 1.44pm BST |
| 13:44 | 13:44 |
| Former UN diplomat and foreign minister in the last Labour government, Mark Malloch-Brown, has added to calls for the UK to accept more refugees. Speaking on the BBC Radio 4’s World at One, he called for “generous asylum here in the UK - a little bit of Angela Merkel’s magic dust needs to be sprinkled on our response.” | Former UN diplomat and foreign minister in the last Labour government, Mark Malloch-Brown, has added to calls for the UK to accept more refugees. Speaking on the BBC Radio 4’s World at One, he called for “generous asylum here in the UK - a little bit of Angela Merkel’s magic dust needs to be sprinkled on our response.” |
| 1.37pm BST | 1.37pm BST |
| 13:37 | 13:37 |
| Scuffles broke out earlier on Monday between police and thousands of people attempting to enter Macedonia from with Greece. | Scuffles broke out earlier on Monday between police and thousands of people attempting to enter Macedonia from with Greece. |
| About 2,000 people gathered at the Greek border near the village of Idomeni just after dawn. The Macedonian authorities allowed only small groups to cross every half hour, leading to tension. The situation later calmed after more were allowed to cross, with about 1,000 having passed the border by mid-day, AP reported. | About 2,000 people gathered at the Greek border near the village of Idomeni just after dawn. The Macedonian authorities allowed only small groups to cross every half hour, leading to tension. The situation later calmed after more were allowed to cross, with about 1,000 having passed the border by mid-day, AP reported. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.12pm BST | at 2.12pm BST |
| 1.24pm BST | 1.24pm BST |
| 13:24 | 13:24 |
| Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, has urged Catholics in England and Wales to respond to the crisis with “practical action” and promised the church will issue guidance on how people can help. | Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, has urged Catholics in England and Wales to respond to the crisis with “practical action” and promised the church will issue guidance on how people can help. |
| In a statement he said: | In a statement he said: |
| “We urge government to respond positively to this crisis and to provide the necessary resources and funding to ensure the effective reception and long-term resettlement of these desperate people. We will work with both government and other responsible authorities to meet this grave challenge. | “We urge government to respond positively to this crisis and to provide the necessary resources and funding to ensure the effective reception and long-term resettlement of these desperate people. We will work with both government and other responsible authorities to meet this grave challenge. |
| “We invite all Catholics to respond in prayer and in real, practical action. It is my hope to join the prayer vigil which is taking place outside Westminster Cathedral tomorrow night. | “We invite all Catholics to respond in prayer and in real, practical action. It is my hope to join the prayer vigil which is taking place outside Westminster Cathedral tomorrow night. |
| “Guidance will follow shortly on how the Catholic community in England and Wales can practically respond to this refugee crisis.” | “Guidance will follow shortly on how the Catholic community in England and Wales can practically respond to this refugee crisis.” |
| On the subject of candle lit vigils GuardianWitness have a callout on the #LightTheDark candlelit vigils being held across Australia. Here’s a sample of contributions so far. | On the subject of candle lit vigils GuardianWitness have a callout on the #LightTheDark candlelit vigils being held across Australia. Here’s a sample of contributions so far. |
| Lighting the dark in Adelaide tonight #LightTheDark | Lighting the dark in Adelaide tonight #LightTheDark |
| Sent via Guardian Witness | Sent via Guardian Witness |
| By Weishaupt | By Weishaupt |
| 7 September 2015, 12:00 | 7 September 2015, 12:00 |
| #NooneIsIllegal | #NooneIsIllegal |
| #refugeeswelcome #LightTheDark | #refugeeswelcome #LightTheDark |
| Sent via Guardian Witness | Sent via Guardian Witness |
| By Tanyia Maxted-Jamieson | By Tanyia Maxted-Jamieson |
| 7 September 2015, 12:40 | 7 September 2015, 12:40 |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.26pm BST | at 1.26pm BST |
| 1.18pm BST | 1.18pm BST |
| 13:18 | 13:18 |
| Ian Traynor | Ian Traynor |
| The Guardian’s Europe editor, Ian Traynor, rounds up the latest diplomatic developments on the crisis: | The Guardian’s Europe editor, Ian Traynor, rounds up the latest diplomatic developments on the crisis: |
| French president François Hollande has called for a Paris summit of European leaders to tackle the refugee crisis. He said Europe’s passport-free Schengen zone could not survive without a new system of binding quotas for sharing newcomers, and said France has agreed to take 24,000 people under a new EU scheme. | French president François Hollande has called for a Paris summit of European leaders to tackle the refugee crisis. He said Europe’s passport-free Schengen zone could not survive without a new system of binding quotas for sharing newcomers, and said France has agreed to take 24,000 people under a new EU scheme. |
| Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, is to outline a new three-pillar system for dealing with refugees on Wednesday in a speech to the European parliament. He will propose the obligatory sharing of 160,000 asylum-seekers moved from Italy, Greece, and Hungary across the rest of the EU, although the countries of eastern Europe are bitterly opposed to being forced to accept refugees. | Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, is to outline a new three-pillar system for dealing with refugees on Wednesday in a speech to the European parliament. He will propose the obligatory sharing of 160,000 asylum-seekers moved from Italy, Greece, and Hungary across the rest of the EU, although the countries of eastern Europe are bitterly opposed to being forced to accept refugees. |
| The eastern Europeans will be offered the option of buying themselves a year’s grace, delaying acceptance of their quota in return for returning money to EU coffers. It is not clear whether they will accept. Under the quotas, Germany, France, and Spain are to take around half of the total, although Madrid is also balking. | The eastern Europeans will be offered the option of buying themselves a year’s grace, delaying acceptance of their quota in return for returning money to EU coffers. It is not clear whether they will accept. Under the quotas, Germany, France, and Spain are to take around half of the total, although Madrid is also balking. |
| Britain and Denmark do not need to take part in the new scheme. | Britain and Denmark do not need to take part in the new scheme. |
| The Juncker proposals will also effectively put EU agencies in charge of registering and fingerprinting newcomers in Italy and Greece, taking on powers previously reserved for national governments. This is being pushed by Germany, which is furious that for two years the Greeks and Italians have been deliberately not registering people to avoid having to take them back from other EU countries. | The Juncker proposals will also effectively put EU agencies in charge of registering and fingerprinting newcomers in Italy and Greece, taking on powers previously reserved for national governments. This is being pushed by Germany, which is furious that for two years the Greeks and Italians have been deliberately not registering people to avoid having to take them back from other EU countries. |
| Juncker is also to table a list of agreed so-called safe countries of origin, replacing the patchwork of different national lists with a standardised number of countries accepted across the EU. This will be politically divisive. It will apply mostly to the countries of former Yugoslavia and Albania. Migrants from these countries currently make up more than 40% of people going to Germany. The Germans have Serbia, Bosnia, and Macedonia on their own safe list, but not Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro which will be on Juncker’s list. | Juncker is also to table a list of agreed so-called safe countries of origin, replacing the patchwork of different national lists with a standardised number of countries accepted across the EU. This will be politically divisive. It will apply mostly to the countries of former Yugoslavia and Albania. Migrants from these countries currently make up more than 40% of people going to Germany. The Germans have Serbia, Bosnia, and Macedonia on their own safe list, but not Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro which will be on Juncker’s list. |
| Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany needs a new system, separate from asylum procedures, for dealing with migrants from the Balkans. Juncker is also expected to include Turkey on his list, controversial since the 30-year-old conflict between the Turkish state and Kurdish militants has re-erupted and is escalating. And almost one quarter of asylum applications of people arriving from Turkey in Europe are currently accepted. | Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany needs a new system, separate from asylum procedures, for dealing with migrants from the Balkans. Juncker is also expected to include Turkey on his list, controversial since the 30-year-old conflict between the Turkish state and Kurdish militants has re-erupted and is escalating. And almost one quarter of asylum applications of people arriving from Turkey in Europe are currently accepted. |
| The right to claim asylum is an individual, not collective nor national right. People from countries on the safe list will still be able to claim asylum, but the chances of them obtaining it will be reduced while their applications will be fast-tracked, making deportation a quicker prospect. | The right to claim asylum is an individual, not collective nor national right. People from countries on the safe list will still be able to claim asylum, but the chances of them obtaining it will be reduced while their applications will be fast-tracked, making deportation a quicker prospect. |
| 1.12pm BST | 1.12pm BST |
| 13:12 | 13:12 |
| Germany’s foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has heaped more pressure on David Cameron by calling on other EU states to take part in a “massive joint effort” to tackle the refugee crisis. In a statement issued on Monday he said: | Germany’s foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has heaped more pressure on David Cameron by calling on other EU states to take part in a “massive joint effort” to tackle the refugee crisis. In a statement issued on Monday he said: |
| “It is still an illusion to think that we can get a grip on that crisis without a really comprehensive and differentiating approach. In all our efforts, we must not forget the people who are currently considering embarking on the extremely dangerous and risky journey to Europe from refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon or Jordan. | “It is still an illusion to think that we can get a grip on that crisis without a really comprehensive and differentiating approach. In all our efforts, we must not forget the people who are currently considering embarking on the extremely dangerous and risky journey to Europe from refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon or Jordan. |
| “We have to do even more in collaboration with our partners to create fresh prospects for them in the places currently sheltering them. That means, for example, supporting the UN efforts to stabilise Libya and the endeavour to launch a real peace process in Syria, which may for the first time in a long time have a chance of success now that agreement has been reached in the nuclear dispute with Iran.” | “We have to do even more in collaboration with our partners to create fresh prospects for them in the places currently sheltering them. That means, for example, supporting the UN efforts to stabilise Libya and the endeavour to launch a real peace process in Syria, which may for the first time in a long time have a chance of success now that agreement has been reached in the nuclear dispute with Iran.” |
| Steinmeier echoed earlier remarks by the German chancellor Angela Merkel. She said that other EU countries must take in more migrants because “only with common European solidarity can we master this effort”. | Steinmeier echoed earlier remarks by the German chancellor Angela Merkel. She said that other EU countries must take in more migrants because “only with common European solidarity can we master this effort”. |
| She called for a “solidarity-based and fair distribution of refugees” and said the “Europe based on values must show its face”. | She called for a “solidarity-based and fair distribution of refugees” and said the “Europe based on values must show its face”. |
| 12.25pm BST | 12.25pm BST |
| 12:25 | 12:25 |
| The Hungarian security forces are struggling to to contain migrants trying to break out of the Röszke camp on the Serbia border, according to reports. | The Hungarian security forces are struggling to to contain migrants trying to break out of the Röszke camp on the Serbia border, according to reports. |
| Frustrated migrants waiting for bus to Budapest rush the police lines. pic.twitter.com/P9a2Bc4LdJ | Frustrated migrants waiting for bus to Budapest rush the police lines. pic.twitter.com/P9a2Bc4LdJ |
| Migrants on Hungarian/Serbian border sit in the road in front of the police line as photographers mingle with them. pic.twitter.com/l7zd4bxyxg | Migrants on Hungarian/Serbian border sit in the road in front of the police line as photographers mingle with them. pic.twitter.com/l7zd4bxyxg |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.25pm BST | at 12.25pm BST |
| 12.18pm BST | 12.18pm BST |
| 12:18 | 12:18 |
| A UN committee has urged Gulf States to do more to help tackle the crisis. | A UN committee has urged Gulf States to do more to help tackle the crisis. |
| In a statement the UN Committee on the Protection on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families said: “While neighbouring states have opened their borders to millions of Syrian migrants, other countries, especially in Europe and elsewhere, notably the Gulf States, should do more to address one of the most tragic mass displacements of people since World War II.” | In a statement the UN Committee on the Protection on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families said: “While neighbouring states have opened their borders to millions of Syrian migrants, other countries, especially in Europe and elsewhere, notably the Gulf States, should do more to address one of the most tragic mass displacements of people since World War II.” |
| The Guardian’s migration correspondent Patrick Kingsley said persuading the Gulf States to take more Syrians was one of the key ways to tackle the crisis. He wrote: | The Guardian’s migration correspondent Patrick Kingsley said persuading the Gulf States to take more Syrians was one of the key ways to tackle the crisis. He wrote: |
| Most Arab countries don’t allow entry to Syrians. Some of them have reasonable excuses – Lebanon’s refugee population is already a quarter of the country’s total. But the Gulf countries – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar – have less justification, not least because their support for various sides in the Syrian war is one of the reasons the conflict has lasted so long. | Most Arab countries don’t allow entry to Syrians. Some of them have reasonable excuses – Lebanon’s refugee population is already a quarter of the country’s total. But the Gulf countries – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar – have less justification, not least because their support for various sides in the Syrian war is one of the reasons the conflict has lasted so long. |
| The Guardian has met some Syrians in the Balkans who led safe lives in the UAE for years but had to leave because their residencies were recently rescinded. If Europe has a moral duty to help Syrians, then the Gulf certainly does too.” | The Guardian has met some Syrians in the Balkans who led safe lives in the UAE for years but had to leave because their residencies were recently rescinded. If Europe has a moral duty to help Syrians, then the Gulf certainly does too.” |
| 12.03pm BST | 12.03pm BST |
| 12:03 | 12:03 |
| We want to hear experiences from refugees who are making a journey in Europe this summer, as well as their friends and families, and from people whose communities are receiving refugees. You can share your stories, pictures and videos with us via WhatsApp by adding the contact +44 (0) 7867 825056 and starting your message with refugees, or by contributing to GuardianWitness. | We want to hear experiences from refugees who are making a journey in Europe this summer, as well as their friends and families, and from people whose communities are receiving refugees. You can share your stories, pictures and videos with us via WhatsApp by adding the contact +44 (0) 7867 825056 and starting your message with refugees, or by contributing to GuardianWitness. |
| 12.01pm BST | 12.01pm BST |
| 12:01 | 12:01 |
| Here’s a summary of the latest developments: | Here’s a summary of the latest developments: |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 12.01pm BST | at 12.01pm BST |
| 11.32am BST | 11.32am BST |
| 11:32 | 11:32 |
| In his press conference President Hollande, said France was considering air strikes in Syria, but ruled out sending not send ground troops into the country. AFP quoted him saying this would be “inconsequential and unrealistic.” | In his press conference President Hollande, said France was considering air strikes in Syria, but ruled out sending not send ground troops into the country. AFP quoted him saying this would be “inconsequential and unrealistic.” |
| He said it was unrealistic “because we would be the only ones” and also risked being “transformed into an occupation force”. | He said it was unrealistic “because we would be the only ones” and also risked being “transformed into an occupation force”. |
| “So we won’t do it,” he said. “It’s for regional forces to take their responsibilities. France, however, will work to find political solutions.” | “So we won’t do it,” he said. “It’s for regional forces to take their responsibilities. France, however, will work to find political solutions.” |
| He said that finding a political transition that sidelined Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was “essential”. | He said that finding a political transition that sidelined Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was “essential”. |
| “The transition is an essential point. Nothing must be done that can consolidate or maintain Bashar al-Assad,” he said. | “The transition is an essential point. Nothing must be done that can consolidate or maintain Bashar al-Assad,” he said. |
| France has so far only carried out airstrikes against IS in neighbouring Iraq. Hollande said the French military had so far carried out 200 strikes in Iraq. | France has so far only carried out airstrikes against IS in neighbouring Iraq. Hollande said the French military had so far carried out 200 strikes in Iraq. |
| Britain is also thought to be considering military strikes in Syria, with Prime Minister David Cameron trying to organise a new parliamentary vote on the issue in the coming weeks. | Britain is also thought to be considering military strikes in Syria, with Prime Minister David Cameron trying to organise a new parliamentary vote on the issue in the coming weeks. |
| British MPs rejected such action two years ago, in a decision that embarrassed Cameron and drew criticism from the United States. | British MPs rejected such action two years ago, in a decision that embarrassed Cameron and drew criticism from the United States. |