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Migrants Plot Alternative Routes as Hungary Detains 500 Migrants Plot Alternative Routes as Hungary Detains 500
(34 minutes later)
LONDON — Hundreds of migrants remained stranded on Serbia’s border with Hungary early Wednesday as Hungary’s decision to seal its border rippled across Europe and other migrants scrambled to find alternative routes, in an effort, in most cases, to reach Germany.LONDON — Hundreds of migrants remained stranded on Serbia’s border with Hungary early Wednesday as Hungary’s decision to seal its border rippled across Europe and other migrants scrambled to find alternative routes, in an effort, in most cases, to reach Germany.
Some were planning to go through Croatia and Slovenia. Another possible route is through Hungary’s border with Romania — which, however, Hungary is also moving to tighten — or the land border between Turkey and Bulgaria. At a bus station near Edirne, Turkey, the police were blocking migrants who wished to walk to the nearby border with Bulgaria. Some were planning to go through Croatia and Slovenia. Another possible route is through Hungary’s border with Romania — which, however, Hungary is also moving to tighten.
Hungary announced on Wednesday that its police had detained 519 people so far for illegal entry or damaging the border fence since new rules came into force a day earlier. Authorities have begun 46 criminal cases so far, and the first suspects were to appear in court Wednesday afternoon, according to Gyorgy Bakondi, an aide to Prime Minister Viktor Orban. At a bus station near Edirne, Turkey, the police were blocking migrants who wished to walk to the nearby border with Bulgaria.
Prosecutors in the city of Szeged said that four Iraqi citizens would appear in court for illegal crossing, in expedited proceedings. They were held after crossing the border through an opening in the fence that had been cut by others, the Hungarian authorities said. Hungary announced on Wednesday that police officers had detained 519 people for illegal entry or damaging a border fence since new rules came into force a day earlier. The authorities have opened 46 criminal cases so far, and the first suspects were to appear in court Wednesday afternoon, according to Gyorgy Bakondi, an aide to Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Hungary’s actions had spillover effects throughout the region. Buses carrying migrants from Serbia’s border with Macedonia to its border with Hungary were instead diverted to Croatia, Serbian media reported. Prosecutors in Szeged, Hungary, said that four Iraqi citizens would appear in court for illegal crossing, in expedited proceedings. They were held after crossing the border through an opening in the fence that had been cut by others, the Hungarian authorities said.
Croatia’s prime minister, Zoran Milanovic, said on Wednesday that migrants would be allowed to pass through the country, which is a member of the European Union but borders several countries that are not. “No one will block them.” he said. “No fences.” Hungary’s actions had spillover effects throughout the region. Buses carrying migrants to Serbia’s border with Hungary from its border with Macedonia were instead diverted to Croatia, Serbian news media reported.
Croatia’s prime minister, Zoran Milanovic, said on Wednesday that migrants would be allowed to pass through the country, which is a member of the European Union but borders several countries that are not.
“No one will block them,” he said. “No fences.”
But Mr. Milanovic, who faces a tight race in elections scheduled for mid-November, also made it clear that his country was a temporary stop, not a final destination, for the migrants.But Mr. Milanovic, who faces a tight race in elections scheduled for mid-November, also made it clear that his country was a temporary stop, not a final destination, for the migrants.
The closing of Hungary’s borders has raised concerns among humanitarian groups that migrants seeking to get to Croatia could inadvertently cross through areas near the Hungarian-Croatia border that are littered with thousands of land mines left from the Balkan wars of the 1990s. On Wednesday, Croatian demining experts were sent to the area where the migrants are arriving, Reuters reported. The closing of Hungary’s borders has raised concerns among humanitarian groups that migrants seeking to get to Croatia could inadvertently cross through areas near the Hungarian-Croatian border that are littered with thousands of land mines left from the Balkan wars of the 1990s. On Wednesday, Croatian demining experts were sent to the area where many migrants were arriving, Reuters reported.
The countries of the former Yugoslavia, which were torn apart by the Balkan wars of the 1990s, have thus far taken a tolerant and welcoming stance toward the migrants, who have viewed the region as a transit zone rather than a final destination. But with Hungary’s decision to criminalize the breaching of its borders, countries like Serbia and Croatia, which are relatively homogeneous and poor compared to some of their richer European neighbors, could soon confront a stream of migrants for which they are ill prepared. The countries of the former Yugoslavia, which were torn apart by the wars, have thus far taken a tolerant and welcoming stance toward the migrants, who have viewed the region as a transit zone rather than a final destination. But with Hungary’s decision to criminalize the breaching of its borders, countries like Serbia and Croatia, which are relatively homogeneous and poor compared with some of their richer European neighbors, could soon confront a stream of migrants for which they are ill prepared.
In northern Serbia, a short distance from the border with Hungary, hundreds of people spent the night, and expressed determination to enter Hungary, notwithstanding the new ban. Hundreds chanted “Open the door!” and several began hunger strikes. In northern Serbia, a short distance from the border with Hungary, hundreds of people spent the night outside or in temporary tents and expressed determination to enter Hungary, notwithstanding the new ban. Hundreds chanted “Open the door!” and several began hunger strikes.
On a visit to the border region on Tuesday, Aleksandar Vulin, Serbia’s minister of labor, employment and social affairs, chided Hungary for refusing to abide by its agreements with Serbia and warned that the situation could spiral out of control. On a visit to the border region on Tuesday, Aleksandar Vulin, the Serbian minister of labor, employment and social affairs, chided Hungary for refusing to abide by its agreements with Serbia and warned that the situation could spiral out of control.
In Croatia, the Right Party leader, Anto Dapic, told the local media that he supported offering “temporary aid to women and children, but not young men who look like they just left the gym.” He aligned himself with Poland and Hungary, which have argued that immigration is a matter of national sovereignty and that the European Union has no right to tell countries how many refugees they should take in. In Croatia, the Right Party leader, Anto Dapic, told the local news media that he supported offering “temporary aid to women and children, but not young men who look like they just left the gym.”
Croatia’s interior minister, Ranko Ostojic, said it “respected the fundamental values of the E.U.,” which it joined in 2013, and had embraced a plan that would allocate the migrants to the union’s member states, according to their population and wealth. Mr. Dapic has aligned himself with countries in Eastern and Central Europe, like Hungary, which have argued that immigration is a matter of national sovereignty, and that the European Union has no right to tell countries how many refugees they should take in.
Asked whether the Schengen Agreement — which has permitted unrestricted travel across much of the continent — was under attack, Mr. Ostojic said in a televised interview: “If each country has an individual approach to this work, and if this continues, of course, then the founding values for which the E.U. exists, which is freedom of movement of people, is at risk. That is why responsible leaders at this time really looking for a solution to this situation.” The Croatian interior minister, Ranko Ostojic, said his country “respected the fundamental values of the E.U.,” which it joined in 2013, and had embraced a plan that would distribute migrants across the union’s member states according to their population and wealth.
Over 100 migrants, unable to travel to Hungary, instead went to Sid, Serbia, and crossed the border Wednesday morning to Tovarnik, Croatia, where authorities were trying to register them, Croatia’s state radio service reported. Croatian border patrol officers caught a number of migrants trying to bypass registration via neighboring cornfields, authorities told the service. Asked whether the Schengen Agreement — which has permitted unrestricted travel across much of the Continent — was under attack, Mr. Ostojic said in a televised interview: “If each country has an individual approach to this work, and if this continues, of course, then the founding values for which the E.U. exists, which is freedom of movement of people, is at risk. That is why responsible leaders at this time really looking for a solution to this situation.”
In Austria, army border controls officially began at midnight on Wednesday, dramatically slowing the flood of migrants from Hungary. The controls were focused on three border crossings: Nickelsdorf, Deutschkreutz and Schachendorf. Speaking by phone from Heiligenkreuz, Gerald Koller, a police spokesman for the southern state of Burgenland, said buses from Hungary had dropped off 300 to 400 migrants on Tuesday and another 700 on Wednesday. “But since last night not a single bus has arrived,” Mr. Koller said. Over 100 migrants, unable to travel to Hungary, instead went to Sid, Serbia, and crossed the border Wednesday morning to Tovarnik, Croatia, where the authorities were trying to register them, Croatia’s state radio service reported. Croatian border patrol officers caught a number of migrants trying to bypass registration by going through neighboring cornfields, the authorities told the service.
Elsewhere in Austria — which followed Germany’s decision over the weekend to impose stringent border checks — there was a bottleneck of migrants seeking to enter Germany. At the Westbahnhof railway station in Vienna on Wednesday morning, some 5,000 migrants spent the night; a few were slumbering on mats outdoors. In Austria, army border controls officially began just after midnight on Wednesday, drastically slowing the flood of migrants from Hungary. The controls were focused on three border crossings: Nickelsdorf, Deutschkreutz and Schachendorf. Speaking by phone from Heiligenkreuz, Gerald Koller, a police spokesman for the southern state of Burgenland, said that buses from Hungary had dropped off 300 to 400 migrants on Tuesday and an additional 700 on Wednesday.
In Salzburg, where 1,200 migrants had spent the night in emergency shelters, Michael Rausch, a police spokesman, said the situation was tense. “Right now there are no trains to Germany,” he said. “The Salzburg main station is a bottleneck. But the situation changes by the hour.” He said that in the past 24 hours, some 500 migrants had walked the roughly eight kilometers, or about five miles, from Salzburg’s train station to the German border. “But since last night, not a single bus has arrived,” Mr. Koller said.
Elsewhere in Austria, which followed Germany’s decision over the weekend to impose stringent border checks, there was a bottleneck of migrants seeking to enter Germany. At the Westbahnhof railway station in Vienna on Wednesday morning, an estimated 5,000 migrants spent the night; a few were sleeping on mats outdoors.
In Salzburg, where 1,200 migrants had spent the night in emergency shelters, Michael Rausch, a police spokesman, said the situation was tense.
“Right now there are no trains to Germany,” he said. “The Salzburg main station is a bottleneck. But the situation changes by the hour.”
He said that in the past 24 hours, about 500 migrants had walked the roughly eight kilometers, or five miles, from Salzburg’s train station to the German border.