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Europe’s Confused Response Leaves Migrants Scrambling for New Gateways Croatia Buckles Under Strain of Migrant Influx
(about 2 hours later)
LONDON — Europe’s muddled response to the migration crisis continued to sow confusion and frustration on Friday, as throngs of asylum seekers poured into Croatia from Serbia even though most border crossings were officially closed, Hungary erected new barriers, and thousands of others sought new gateways into Western Europe. BELI MANASTIR, Croatia — Europe’s inability to establish any kind of coordinated response to the migration crisis on the Continent set off a war of words on Friday.
Croatia, a Balkan country that joined the European Union in 2013, had initially signaled that it would allow migrants who were barred from entering neighboring Hungary to pass. But after more than 11,000 people streamed into Croatia on Wednesday and Thursday, the government said it was moving to shut the border with Serbia. In Croatia, hundreds continued to stream in after 14,052 migrants, blocked from entering Hungary, arrived over the previous two days. Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said his country was overwhelmed by the influx, and he lashed out at Hungary for what he said was a failure to live up to its obligations as a member of the European Union.
Though most of the crossings were blocked, migrants continued to stream into Croatia through cornfields near the crossing between the border towns of Tovarnik, Croatia, and Sid, Serbia. Mr. Milanovic also implicitly criticized Germany for effectively extending an invitation to the migrants without having a comprehensive plan to get them to Germany.
Many of them — about 30 busloads — had traveled roughly 300 miles through Serbia, from the southern town of Preshevo, on the border with Macedonia, to Sid, in the north. Many spent the night in the open or in tents, with scant food and water in supply, the Serbian state broadcaster RTS reported. “Croatia has showed it has a heart,” he said at a news conference. “We also need to show we have a brain.”
On the Croatian side of the border, police officers in vans were seeking to take the new arrivals to reception centers; from there, it was unclear whether they would be registered or expelled. Up to 8,000 migrants were taken to former barracks in the town of Beli Manastir, which could hold just 1,200 people. Mr. Milanovic added: “A solution isn’t to leave these refugees in Croatia. Today we will start changing our methods. We cannot house these people. We won’t block entries, but we also won’t block exits.”
Croatia’s mixed messages highlighted how the countries of the former Yugoslavia — smaller and economically weaker than their richer and more populous Western counterparts — are ill equipped to deal with the surge of people who have suddenly turned up on their doorsteps. Addressing migrants, he said: “You are welcome in Croatia, and you can pass through Croatia. But go on. Not because we don’t like you, but because this is not your final destination.”
The practical implications of his remarks were not clear. The nation closed seven of its eight border crossings with Serbia at 11 p.m. on Thursday, but 3,000 people have entered since then, according to the Croatian Interior Ministry.
On Friday, throngs continued to enter, walking across fields near the border towns of Tovarnik, Croatia; and Sid, Serbia. On the Croatian side of the border, police officers in vans were seeking to take the arrivals to reception centers; from there, it was unclear whether they would be registered or expelled.
Many of the migrants — about 30 busloads — had traveled roughly 300 miles through Serbia, from its southern border with Macedonia to its northern border with Croatia.
The influx left Croatia scrambling to create more processing centers, including using a military barracks in the town of Beli Manastir, about 100 miles from the border. A makeshift area meant to house 200 was flooded by 8,000, said the town’s mayor, Ivan Dobos. They had arrived suddenly by bus and train, from the border towns of Tovarnik and Batina, he said.
The roads leading to Beli Manastir were strewn with the remnants of the migrants’ overnight stay. Cots provided by the Croatian military were propped against fences. In the town, migrants were lining up at banks, apparently looking to exchange currency and possibly to buy their way to Slovenia. Some stopped taxis and vans to ask to be taken there.
A Syrian man who gave his name as Anas, 38, said he hoped to reach the Netherlands, where he planned to send for his family in Damascus — his two young children and his wife, who is due to deliver their third child in 10 days.
He said that he did not want to squander his money on a smuggler, and that he was waiting for a bus to Zagreb, the Croatian capital.
“If the Slovenian police want to catch me, it’s O.K.,” Anas said, sounding resigned and weary. “I have nothing to lose.” He added that he had found the lack of hospitality puzzling, given that the migrants just wanted to pass through: “Hungary, Slovenia, Austria — they know we don’t want to stay there.”
The mixed messages from Croatia, which joined the European Union only in 2013, highlighted how the countries of the former Yugoslavia — smaller and economically weaker than their richer and more populous Western counterparts — are ill equipped to deal with the surge of people who have suddenly turned up on their doorsteps.
Slovenia, bracing for the migrants who are streaming through Croatia toward its borders, has set up six reception centers. At one of them, police vans delivered about 15 migrants every few minutes; the official number was 166 by noon Friday, but unofficial estimates placed it higher.
Croatian police officers could be seen on Friday telling migrants who arrived by taxi to turn back. Other migrants tried to cross into Slovenia on foot, walking through meadows, fields and even wading through a river, the Sutla.
After the Balkan wars of the 1990s, the experience of mass outflows of refugees is part of the recent memory of people in this region. But most salaries in the countries here are relatively low, welfare states are stretched and the prospect of hosting large numbers of migrants threatens to spur a backlash.
The crisis has also dealt a heavy blow to European unity, as the Schengen area of borderless travel, long a cornerstone of European integration, has crumbled.The crisis has also dealt a heavy blow to European unity, as the Schengen area of borderless travel, long a cornerstone of European integration, has crumbled.
The Croatian interior minister, Ranko Ostojic, said on Thursday that his country had reached its maximum capacity for accepting migrants. He told migrants that they were no longer welcome. “Don’t come here any more,” he said. “This is not the road to Europe. Buses can’t take you there. It’s a lie.”
In Hungary, where riot police officers this week fired water cannons and tear gas to fend off migrants trying to breach a border gate, workers on Friday began laying razor wire along the country’s southern border with Croatia, extending by about 25 miles the 109 miles of razor wire it had already set up along its border with Serbia. The Hungarian government also has plans to reinforce the eastern border with Romania.In Hungary, where riot police officers this week fired water cannons and tear gas to fend off migrants trying to breach a border gate, workers on Friday began laying razor wire along the country’s southern border with Croatia, extending by about 25 miles the 109 miles of razor wire it had already set up along its border with Serbia. The Hungarian government also has plans to reinforce the eastern border with Romania.
On Thursday night, Hungary declared a state of crisis in two southern counties near the Croatian border. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the authorities had deployed 600 soldiers and 200 police officers there. A further 1,200 troops and half as many police officers would be sent to the area by the end of this week, he said. On Friday, Hungary declared a state of crisis in four southern counties near its borders with Croatia and Slovenia. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the authorities had deployed 600 soldiers and 200 police officers there, with another 1,200 troops and 600 officers to be sent to the area by the end of this week.
“There is no dune, no molehill for anyone to hide behind in the hope of entering Hungarian territory illegally,” Mr. Orban said. “We will protect Hungary’s border.”“There is no dune, no molehill for anyone to hide behind in the hope of entering Hungarian territory illegally,” Mr. Orban said. “We will protect Hungary’s border.”
The police said that 453 migrants had been detained on one section of the border with Croatia before midnight on Thursday. The authorities said that nearly 500 migrants had been detained on Hungary’s border with Croatia.
Hungary has come under criticism from the United Nations and from the European Union for erecting barriers to keep out refugees and asylum seekers, most of whom are en route to countries like Germany and Sweden. But Hungary has retorted that these people have no right to apply for asylum in Hungary, as they are coming from so-called safe countries, like Serbia, and not directly from their homes in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere. Hungary has been criticized by the United Nations and by the European Union for erecting barriers to keep out asylum seekers, most of whom are en route to countries like Germany and Sweden. But Hungary has retorted that these people have no right to apply for asylum in Hungary, as they are coming from so-called safe countries, like Serbia, and not directly from their homes in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq or elsewhere.
Further south, more than 4,000 people crossed into Macedonia from Greece on Thursday, the authorities said. In Edirne, Turkey, migrants seeking to enter Greece were awaiting word from the Turkish capital, Ankara, as to whether they would be allowed to walk over the border. Further south, more than 4,000 people crossed into Macedonia from Greece on Thursday, the authorities said. In Edirne, Turkey, migrants seeking to enter Greece were awaiting word from the Turkish capital, Ankara, about whether they would be allowed to walk over the border.