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| Refugee crisis pushes UN agencies towards bankcruptcy – live updates | Refugee crisis pushes UN agencies towards bankcruptcy – live updates |
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| 9.19am BST09:19 | |
| Bavarian authorities, which have so far accepted two thirds of the 18,000 refugees who arrived in Munich via Austria over the weekend, have said they are at breaking point writes Josie Le Blond and Emma Graham-Harrison. | |
| “We’re right at our limit,” said Christoph Hillenbrand, meeting reporters at Munich train station on Monday morning. He has called for better communication across borders, after authorities were taken by surprise at the number who arrived on Sunday. Hillenbrand said he is expecting a further 10,000 refugees to come in by train in Munich on Monday alone. | |
| Munich government arrivals estimates yesterday were too low by more than half. 10,000 people came through before midnight, 2000 more after | |
| So nearly 20,000 people came through Munich, majority but not all processed here, over a single weekend. (If you count early Monday morning) | |
| The government that yesterday noon said it was not worrying about the scale of arrivals has now warned it need urgent help from other areas | |
| Meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel and her vice chancellor are due to give details of extra measures to help asylum seekers agreed at five-hour meeting of her ruling coalition. | |
| 9.10am BST09:10 | |
| David Cameron is due to make his Commons statement about the migration crisis at 3.30pm. Politics Live will be have detailed coverage, but in the meantime here’s a preview. | |
| It includes this explainer by our development correspondent Sam Jones on how the government will pay for the resettlement of “thousands more” Syrians | |
| Can the government spend overseas aid money at home? | |
| Although the rules governing the use of overseas aid – known as official development assistance (ODA) – are strict, there is provision for domestic expenditure under some circumstances. | |
| According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): | |
| Assistance to refugees in developing countries is reportable as ODA. Temporary assistance to refugees from developing countries arriving in donor countries is reportable as ODA during the first 12 months of stay, and all costs associated with eventual repatriation to the developing country of origin are also reportable. | |
| Does the UK’s overseas aid money go on anything else at home? | |
| Yes. A Guardian analysis in February revealed that some UK aid money is actually spent here: in 2012, almost £12m went on projects such as global citizenship lessons in Scottish schools; military and security training for African officials; and a “study visit” to the UK for North Korean officials. | |
| Why does the UK have such a large overseas aid budget? | |
| In April last year, the UK became one of only a handful of European countries (the others being Luxembourg, Sweden and Denmark) to achieve the 45-year-old UN target of spending 0.7% of its gross national income as aid to poorer nations. | |
| How is the chancellor’s announcement likely to play out? | |
| The political push to get the 0.7% commitment enshrined in law at a time of financial crisis and austerity was not easy. A handful of Tory backbenchers attempted to derail the bill, with one memorably describing it as “a handout to make a few middle class, Guardian-reading, sandal-wearing, lentil-eating do-gooders with a misguided guilt complex feel better about themselves”. Ukip also opposed the move. In their 2015 election manifesto, the party pledged to slash Britain’s overseas aid spending by more than two-thirds and abolish the “wasteful” DfID. Given the government’s controversial decision to ringfence DfID’s budget at a time of austerity and swingeing cuts across Whitehall, Osborne’s announcement may go some way to placating opponents who question the need to spend so much abroad and congregate around the maxim that “charity begins at home”. | |
| What does DfID say? | |
| The international development secretary, Justine Greening, said she welcomed the news and pointed out that Britain has already spent more than £1bn on trying to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the surrounding region. | |
| Greening said that DfID and the Treasury were going to “fundamentally review” spending to make sure that “every additional pound goes towards addressing the global challenges that impact on Britain, like the crisis we’ve seen unfold on Europe’s borders”. | |
| 8.58am BST08:58 | |
| New Zealand and Australia offer to take more refugees | |
| New Zealand’s prime minister, John Key, has announced plans to accept an exta 750 Syrian refugees. | |
| Meanwhile, Australia’s prime minister, Tony Abbott said his would play its role in taking displaced people from the Syrian conflict, but the details are unclear. | |
| Updated at 9.01am BST | |
| 8.44am BST08:44 | 8.44am BST08:44 |
| Hungary’s hardline PM Viktor Orban has cranked up the rhetoric once again. In his latest statement he said people coming into the EU are “immigrants not refugees”. | Hungary’s hardline PM Viktor Orban has cranked up the rhetoric once again. In his latest statement he said people coming into the EU are “immigrants not refugees”. |
| He also said that it was the EU primary interest that Hungary protects its borders. | He also said that it was the EU primary interest that Hungary protects its borders. |
| Meanwhile, Police on Austria’s eastern border with Hungary are intensifying checks on suspected on people smugglers but otherwise not tightening controls on people crossing the frontier, a spokesman for police in Burgenland province said on Monday. | Meanwhile, Police on Austria’s eastern border with Hungary are intensifying checks on suspected on people smugglers but otherwise not tightening controls on people crossing the frontier, a spokesman for police in Burgenland province said on Monday. |
| Chancellor Werner Faymann announced on Sunday that Austria planned to phase out emergency measures allowing the unimpeded inflow of thousands of migrants from Hungary to Austria and Germany. | Chancellor Werner Faymann announced on Sunday that Austria planned to phase out emergency measures allowing the unimpeded inflow of thousands of migrants from Hungary to Austria and Germany. |
| “There will still be no border controls. That would be against the Schengen agreement,” spokesman Helmut Marban said, according to Reuters, adding checks to catch human smugglers “will be activated and become more visible”. | “There will still be no border controls. That would be against the Schengen agreement,” spokesman Helmut Marban said, according to Reuters, adding checks to catch human smugglers “will be activated and become more visible”. |
| 8.37am BST08:37 | 8.37am BST08:37 |
| Patrick Kingsley | Patrick Kingsley |
| While thousands of people have crossed the border into Hungary over the weekend, some are still being stopped and rounded up by police, Patrick Kingsley reports. | While thousands of people have crossed the border into Hungary over the weekend, some are still being stopped and rounded up by police, Patrick Kingsley reports. |
| But no space there, so many spent the night in field. Situ tense. Smell of teargas. A man has fainted on ground. Crowd chants "freedom". | But no space there, so many spent the night in field. Situ tense. Smell of teargas. A man has fainted on ground. Crowd chants "freedom". |
| Some have gone to the petrol station up road to be smuggled to Budapest. But immobile families stuck here. A pic pic.twitter.com/Ryqljqnd4J | Some have gone to the petrol station up road to be smuggled to Budapest. But immobile families stuck here. A pic pic.twitter.com/Ryqljqnd4J |
| Time lapse video from the BBC shows how 14,000 people, many of them Syrian refugees, arrived at Munich’s central railway station. | Time lapse video from the BBC shows how 14,000 people, many of them Syrian refugees, arrived at Munich’s central railway station. |
| 8.14am BST08:14 | 8.14am BST08:14 |
| Hungary’s hardline anti-immigration prime minister Viktor Orban remains defiant despite relaxing border controls over the weekend. | Hungary’s hardline anti-immigration prime minister Viktor Orban remains defiant despite relaxing border controls over the weekend. |
| Reuters quoted him saying that Hungary cannot accept EU quotas on migrants. “Until we can protect EU borders, there is no point in discussing quotas,” Orban is quoted as saying. | Reuters quoted him saying that Hungary cannot accept EU quotas on migrants. “Until we can protect EU borders, there is no point in discussing quotas,” Orban is quoted as saying. |
| He also called for a fund to help countries like Turkey to handle the problem. | He also called for a fund to help countries like Turkey to handle the problem. |
| Orban said Hungary has no plans to shoot at migrants trying to cross its new southern border fence. | Orban said Hungary has no plans to shoot at migrants trying to cross its new southern border fence. |
| Construction crews are completing a 3.5-metre-(11.5-foot) high fence along the length of Hungary’s boundary with Serbia to keep further migrants out. | Construction crews are completing a 3.5-metre-(11.5-foot) high fence along the length of Hungary’s boundary with Serbia to keep further migrants out. |
| “We are protecting Europe according to European rules that say borders can be crossed only in certain areas in a controlled way and after registration,” he said in the ORF interview. | “We are protecting Europe according to European rules that say borders can be crossed only in certain areas in a controlled way and after registration,” he said in the ORF interview. |
| Asked if soldiers along the frontier would get orders to shoot, he said: “It is not necessary because there will be a fence that cannot be crossed. Whoever wants nevertheless to cross the fence must be arrested and prosecuted. No use of arms will be necessary.” | Asked if soldiers along the frontier would get orders to shoot, he said: “It is not necessary because there will be a fence that cannot be crossed. Whoever wants nevertheless to cross the fence must be arrested and prosecuted. No use of arms will be necessary.” |
| Asked if Hungary could accept such a quota system, he said: “If Europe’s outer border is not blocked off it makes no sense to speak of quotas. When we have sealed the outer border and thus stopped the illegal migration we can talk about any solution.” | Asked if Hungary could accept such a quota system, he said: “If Europe’s outer border is not blocked off it makes no sense to speak of quotas. When we have sealed the outer border and thus stopped the illegal migration we can talk about any solution.” |
| The reality on the border is not quiet as tough as Orban’s rhetoric suggests, Patrick Kingsley reports. | The reality on the border is not quiet as tough as Orban’s rhetoric suggests, Patrick Kingsley reports. |
| Back at Hungarian-Serbian border. As reported yday, Hungary has given up stopping ppl fm crossing, despite rhetoric pic.twitter.com/wf06lsDVWG | Back at Hungarian-Serbian border. As reported yday, Hungary has given up stopping ppl fm crossing, despite rhetoric pic.twitter.com/wf06lsDVWG |
| Updated at 8.21am BST | Updated at 8.21am BST |
| 8.01am BST08:01 | 8.01am BST08:01 |
| Cooper alarmed at raid on aid budget | Cooper alarmed at raid on aid budget |
| Shadow home secretary and Labour leadership contender, Yvette Cooper, has welcomed reports that the government is prepared to resettle between 10,000 and 15,000 Syrians. | Shadow home secretary and Labour leadership contender, Yvette Cooper, has welcomed reports that the government is prepared to resettle between 10,000 and 15,000 Syrians. |
| But she expressed alarm at signs that the government is to use the aid budget to pay for the move. | But she expressed alarm at signs that the government is to use the aid budget to pay for the move. |
| Last week Cooper urged the government to take in an extra 10,000 refugees. | Last week Cooper urged the government to take in an extra 10,000 refugees. |
| Speaking on to the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she said: “We should do what we can to help. It is really important that Britain doesn’t turn its back on what is the greatest humanitarian crisis since the second world war. So I really hope this figure of about 15,000 is right. This is a big change of mind from the government and does reflect the very strong supports that there’s been across the country ... that we should do more.” | Speaking on to the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme she said: “We should do what we can to help. It is really important that Britain doesn’t turn its back on what is the greatest humanitarian crisis since the second world war. So I really hope this figure of about 15,000 is right. This is a big change of mind from the government and does reflect the very strong supports that there’s been across the country ... that we should do more.” |
| On raiding the aid budget, she said: “I have some questions about that, because what you can’t do is do this at the expense of support in the region. Why are they not taking this funding from the reserve?” | On raiding the aid budget, she said: “I have some questions about that, because what you can’t do is do this at the expense of support in the region. Why are they not taking this funding from the reserve?” |
| She also said Britain should accept migrants from Europe and not just refugee camps in countries bordering Syria. | She also said Britain should accept migrants from Europe and not just refugee camps in countries bordering Syria. |
| 7.46am BST07:46 | 7.46am BST07:46 |
| Hungary appears to have given up stopping people crossing certain parts of its border, the Guardian’s migration correspondent, Patrick Kingsley, reports. | Hungary appears to have given up stopping people crossing certain parts of its border, the Guardian’s migration correspondent, Patrick Kingsley, reports. |
| Despite building a razor-wire fence along the rest of the border, and making it clear that refugees have no place in Hungary, Hungarian officials allowed over 2,000 to walk in broad daylight on Sunday along these train tracks and into the country. Police did not attempt to stop them. | Despite building a razor-wire fence along the rest of the border, and making it clear that refugees have no place in Hungary, Hungarian officials allowed over 2,000 to walk in broad daylight on Sunday along these train tracks and into the country. Police did not attempt to stop them. |
| Citing police figures, the BBC’s Matthew Price said more than 5,000 people have now crossed from Serbia to Hungary. | Citing police figures, the BBC’s Matthew Price said more than 5,000 people have now crossed from Serbia to Hungary. |
| Hungarian police have released the latest statistics from over the weekend. 5400 migrants crossed over from Serbia to Hungary. | Hungarian police have released the latest statistics from over the weekend. 5400 migrants crossed over from Serbia to Hungary. |
| 7.36am BST07:36 | 7.36am BST07:36 |
| Summary | Summary |
| Welcome to our continuing live coverage of the refugee crisis. | Welcome to our continuing live coverage of the refugee crisis. |
| As thousands more asylum seekers and migrants arrive in Europe and make their way west, governments across the continent set out differing responses to the crisis. | As thousands more asylum seekers and migrants arrive in Europe and make their way west, governments across the continent set out differing responses to the crisis. |
| Here’s a summary of the latest developments. | Here’s a summary of the latest developments. |
| Andy Sparrow’s Politics Live blog will be focusing on the domestic political row about how to respond to the crisis, including Cameron’s announcement in the Commons. This blog will pick up the main points of Britain’s response but focus on the developing crisis across Europe. | Andy Sparrow’s Politics Live blog will be focusing on the domestic political row about how to respond to the crisis, including Cameron’s announcement in the Commons. This blog will pick up the main points of Britain’s response but focus on the developing crisis across Europe. |
| Updated at 8.19am BST | Updated at 8.19am BST |