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| Clashes at border with Serbia as Croatia says it cannot take more refugees – as it happened | Clashes at border with Serbia as Croatia says it cannot take more refugees – as it happened |
| (17 days later) | |
| 5.00pm BST | 5.00pm BST |
| 17:00 | 17:00 |
| 4.55pm BST | 4.55pm BST |
| 16:55 | 16:55 |
| Mona Mahmood | Mona Mahmood |
| Dozens of Syrian refugees stranded in Istanbul’s main bus garage for the last two days, and denied travel to join other Syrian refugees in Edrine near the Greek borders by have started a hunger strike today to persuade Turkish police to allow them to take buses there. | Dozens of Syrian refugees stranded in Istanbul’s main bus garage for the last two days, and denied travel to join other Syrian refugees in Edrine near the Greek borders by have started a hunger strike today to persuade Turkish police to allow them to take buses there. |
| Muhammed Jamal, 26, a Syrian refugee, from Homs said: strike said: | Muhammed Jamal, 26, a Syrian refugee, from Homs said: strike said: |
| After the tragic death of the Syrian child, Aylan who was drowned with his brother in the sea, we reckoned to mobilise Syrian refugees in Turkey who want to seek refuge and settlement in Europe. They do not want to risk their lives and travel by sea or pay fortunes to smugglers, so we have decided to camp in Edrine city by the Greek borders to be allowed to get to Greece safely by buses. We launched this new campaign out of our despair and frustration. We can’t stay in Turkey all our life without any financial, medical and housing support. It has become too difficult to rent a room if you are a Syrian refugee or find any chance of work. I’m spending most of my time in the street. | After the tragic death of the Syrian child, Aylan who was drowned with his brother in the sea, we reckoned to mobilise Syrian refugees in Turkey who want to seek refuge and settlement in Europe. They do not want to risk their lives and travel by sea or pay fortunes to smugglers, so we have decided to camp in Edrine city by the Greek borders to be allowed to get to Greece safely by buses. We launched this new campaign out of our despair and frustration. We can’t stay in Turkey all our life without any financial, medical and housing support. It has become too difficult to rent a room if you are a Syrian refugee or find any chance of work. I’m spending most of my time in the street. |
| Some Syrian refugees were actually able to get to Edrine but they were kicked out by the Turkish police. We want the whole world to hear our voice that we demand the Greece authorities open their land borders with Turkey and let us continue to Europe. We resolved to go on hunger strike to put more pressure on Turkish police to allow us to take buses to Edrine. We have been stuck in the garage for two days now. However, we are determined to keep going as we do not have any other choice. | Some Syrian refugees were actually able to get to Edrine but they were kicked out by the Turkish police. We want the whole world to hear our voice that we demand the Greece authorities open their land borders with Turkey and let us continue to Europe. We resolved to go on hunger strike to put more pressure on Turkish police to allow us to take buses to Edrine. We have been stuck in the garage for two days now. However, we are determined to keep going as we do not have any other choice. |
| 4.36pm BST | 4.36pm BST |
| 16:36 | 16:36 |
| Croatia’s President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic asked the army on Thursday to be ready, if necessary, to protect its borders, the state news agency Hina reported. | Croatia’s President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic asked the army on Thursday to be ready, if necessary, to protect its borders, the state news agency Hina reported. |
| Croatia’s president met the army chief of staff and required a higher level of alert and the army and to be ready, if need be, to protect the national borders | Croatia’s president met the army chief of staff and required a higher level of alert and the army and to be ready, if need be, to protect the national borders |
| Croatia’s Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic has said his country cannot accept any more people after more than 7,000 people crossed the border in the last two days. | Croatia’s Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic has said his country cannot accept any more people after more than 7,000 people crossed the border in the last two days. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.43pm BST | at 4.43pm BST |
| 4.22pm BST | 4.22pm BST |
| 16:22 | 16:22 |
| Slovenia’s Red Cross expects 5,000 refugees to enter the country in the coming days as thousands have been pouring into neighbouring Croatia, AP reports: | Slovenia’s Red Cross expects 5,000 refugees to enter the country in the coming days as thousands have been pouring into neighbouring Croatia, AP reports: |
| The organisation appealed Thursday for more aid saying “we will need help from Slovenia and everyone who understands the human suffering of the people fleeing war-ravaged areas.” | The organisation appealed Thursday for more aid saying “we will need help from Slovenia and everyone who understands the human suffering of the people fleeing war-ravaged areas.” |
| More than 7,300 people have entered Croatia in the last two days. Most migrants have sought to move on toward Western Europe, with Slovenia being the next stop on their route. | More than 7,300 people have entered Croatia in the last two days. Most migrants have sought to move on toward Western Europe, with Slovenia being the next stop on their route. |
| 4.11pm BST | 4.11pm BST |
| 16:11 | 16:11 |
| The Serbian foreign ministry has just announced that the Hungarian foreign minister will visit Serbia on Friday. | The Serbian foreign ministry has just announced that the Hungarian foreign minister will visit Serbia on Friday. |
| The two countries have been embroiled in a war of words after Hungary, which has sealed its southern border with Serbia, yesterday fired teargas and water cannon over the border at crowds of refugees. | The two countries have been embroiled in a war of words after Hungary, which has sealed its southern border with Serbia, yesterday fired teargas and water cannon over the border at crowds of refugees. |
| Hungary demanded that Serbia stop the people gathered at its border from “attacking” its police officers while Serbia said Hungary had “no right” to fire into its territory. | Hungary demanded that Serbia stop the people gathered at its border from “attacking” its police officers while Serbia said Hungary had “no right” to fire into its territory. |
| 4.06pm BST | 4.06pm BST |
| 16:06 | 16:06 |
| Here are some more pictures from the Tovarnik stampede: | Here are some more pictures from the Tovarnik stampede: |
| 3.53pm BST | 3.53pm BST |
| 15:53 | 15:53 |
| The criticism of Hungary from UN agencies continues to pour in, this time from the UN’s human rights commission chief, whose condemnation is some of the strongest to date. | The criticism of Hungary from UN agencies continues to pour in, this time from the UN’s human rights commission chief, whose condemnation is some of the strongest to date. |
| A statement from the Geneva-based agency said: | A statement from the Geneva-based agency said: |
| High Commissioner Zeid (Ra’ad al Hussein) deplored the xenophobic and anti-Muslim views that appear to lie at the heart of current Hungarian government policy. | High Commissioner Zeid (Ra’ad al Hussein) deplored the xenophobic and anti-Muslim views that appear to lie at the heart of current Hungarian government policy. |
| Zeid also said images of women and children being assaulted with tear gas and water cannon at Hungary’s frontier with Serbia were “truly shocking”. | Zeid also said images of women and children being assaulted with tear gas and water cannon at Hungary’s frontier with Serbia were “truly shocking”. |
| I am appalled at the callous, and in some cases illegal, actions of the Hungarian authorities in recent days, which include denying entry to, arresting, summarily rejecting and returning refugees, using disproportionate force on migrants and refugees, as well as reportedly assaulting journalists and seizing video documentation. | I am appalled at the callous, and in some cases illegal, actions of the Hungarian authorities in recent days, which include denying entry to, arresting, summarily rejecting and returning refugees, using disproportionate force on migrants and refugees, as well as reportedly assaulting journalists and seizing video documentation. |
| 3.21pm BST | 3.21pm BST |
| 15:21 | 15:21 |
| Ben Knight | Ben Knight |
| Interior minister Thomas de Maizière is planning huge cuts to Germany’s benefits for asylum seekers in a new fast-tracked bill, a copy of which was leaked to the news agency AFP on Thursday. | Interior minister Thomas de Maizière is planning huge cuts to Germany’s benefits for asylum seekers in a new fast-tracked bill, a copy of which was leaked to the news agency AFP on Thursday. |
| The draft bill, dated Monday, would see refugees who have travelled to Germany via other EU countries - and should therefore be under their jurisdiction, according to the Dublin rules - refused the automatic benefits allowed under Germany’s asylum seeker law. They will only be given a travel ticket and provisions, the agency said. | The draft bill, dated Monday, would see refugees who have travelled to Germany via other EU countries - and should therefore be under their jurisdiction, according to the Dublin rules - refused the automatic benefits allowed under Germany’s asylum seeker law. They will only be given a travel ticket and provisions, the agency said. |
| In addition, refugees who cannot be deported because they don’t have passports and refuse to give information on their country of origin will be refused the right to work and will lose social benefits. | In addition, refugees who cannot be deported because they don’t have passports and refuse to give information on their country of origin will be refused the right to work and will lose social benefits. |
| Any asylum seekers on Germany’s list of “safe countries of origin” - chiefly Balkan countries - would also be barred from work and from any education or training schemes. | Any asylum seekers on Germany’s list of “safe countries of origin” - chiefly Balkan countries - would also be barred from work and from any education or training schemes. |
| The asylum seekers’ campaign group Pro Asyl criticized the plan heavily. “The government’s draft law will make partition, deterrence, and homelessness all part of the programme,” the group said in a statement released on its website. | The asylum seekers’ campaign group Pro Asyl criticized the plan heavily. “The government’s draft law will make partition, deterrence, and homelessness all part of the programme,” the group said in a statement released on its website. |
| 3.19pm BST | 3.19pm BST |
| 15:19 | 15:19 |
| These are the latest tweets from AFP’s Eric Randolph: | These are the latest tweets from AFP’s Eric Randolph: |
| Hundreds break out from Tovarnik station. Now wandering streets of little town asking way to Zagreb. Police desperately trying to control | Hundreds break out from Tovarnik station. Now wandering streets of little town asking way to Zagreb. Police desperately trying to control |
| Just not enough buses and it's insanely hot. They tell me that hundreds are now arriving from Serbia | Just not enough buses and it's insanely hot. They tell me that hundreds are now arriving from Serbia |
| 3.13pm BST | 3.13pm BST |
| 15:13 | 15:13 |
| AJ+ is periscoping from Tovarnik. | AJ+ is periscoping from Tovarnik. |
| LIVE on #Periscope: Chaos in Croatian border town of Tovarnik as refugees try to continue journey https://t.co/vSRcAH8JLb | LIVE on #Periscope: Chaos in Croatian border town of Tovarnik as refugees try to continue journey https://t.co/vSRcAH8JLb |
| 3.12pm BST | 3.12pm BST |
| 15:12 | 15:12 |
| Here’s a summary of the latest developments: | Here’s a summary of the latest developments: |
| 3.07pm BST | 3.07pm BST |
| 15:07 | 15:07 |
| EU summit called for next week | EU summit called for next week |
| The European Council president, Donald Tusk, has summoned EU leaders to an extraordinary summit on Wednesday to discuss migration and a proposed scheme to redistribute 120,000 asylum seekers across the 28-nation bloc. | The European Council president, Donald Tusk, has summoned EU leaders to an extraordinary summit on Wednesday to discuss migration and a proposed scheme to redistribute 120,000 asylum seekers across the 28-nation bloc. |
| Tusk said in a tweet on Thursday that he had convened a summit on Wednesday from 6pm CET (5pm GMT) to deal with the refugee crisis. | Tusk said in a tweet on Thursday that he had convened a summit on Wednesday from 6pm CET (5pm GMT) to deal with the refugee crisis. |
| Ministers are due to revisit the mandatory relocation plan, which EU interior ministers failed to agree on Monday, at an emergency meeting on Tuesday after the European Parliament endorsed it on Thursday, with diplomats keen to avoid a new failure. | Ministers are due to revisit the mandatory relocation plan, which EU interior ministers failed to agree on Monday, at an emergency meeting on Tuesday after the European Parliament endorsed it on Thursday, with diplomats keen to avoid a new failure. |
| Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Poland, all former communist countries that joined the EU a decade ago, are the main opponents of compulsory quotas, arguing that they would draw more migrants to Europe and disrupt their societies, which are not accustomed to large-scale immigration. | Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Poland, all former communist countries that joined the EU a decade ago, are the main opponents of compulsory quotas, arguing that they would draw more migrants to Europe and disrupt their societies, which are not accustomed to large-scale immigration. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.30pm BST | at 3.30pm BST |
| 2.52pm BST | 2.52pm BST |
| 14:52 | 14:52 |
| Sky News is reporting that things are now calmer in Tovarnik, Croatia, where refugees clashed with police stationed at the border with Serbia. | Sky News is reporting that things are now calmer in Tovarnik, Croatia, where refugees clashed with police stationed at the border with Serbia. |
| Sky’s correspondent said: “Everyone has gone through.” | Sky’s correspondent said: “Everyone has gone through.” |