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Migrants in Hungary Remain in Tense Standoff at Bicske Station Migrants in Hungary Remain in Tense Standoff at Bicske Station
(about 1 hour later)
LONDON — Hundreds of migrants remained locked in a tense standoff with the police on Friday morning at the Bicske station in Hungary, with some barricading themselves in a train to avoid being sent to a nearby camp. LONDON — Hundreds of migrants remained locked in a tense standoff with the police on Friday at the Bicske station in Hungary, with some barricading themselves in a train to avoid being sent to a nearby camp.
Others fled the train and escaped. Those still on board slept on the floor, on baggage racks, wherever they could find refuge. Many refused to eat as a show of protest.
The mayhem in Hungary, which has become an unwilling center of Europe’s migration crisis, has highlighted divisions in Europe over how to grapple with the large influx of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere who have come by sea and land through the Balkans in search of a better life.The mayhem in Hungary, which has become an unwilling center of Europe’s migration crisis, has highlighted divisions in Europe over how to grapple with the large influx of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere who have come by sea and land through the Balkans in search of a better life.
Divisions over how to approach the crisis were expected to cloud a meeting of European Union foreign ministers on Friday in Luxembourg. Separately, members of the so-called Visegrad group of countries — the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia — were expected to meet in Prague to forge a common approach. In Syria, a funeral was held for Aylan Kurdi, the young boy whose drowning set off a global outcry after photographs circulated on the Internet. His brother, Ghalib, and mother, Rehan, were also buried on Friday. The family had been trying to reach Greece by boat.
Reflecting the split in Europe, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary has said that migrants could turn Europeans into a minority on their own continent, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has said that Europe is responsible for every migrant death. Reflecting the split over how Europe should respond, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday that Britain would take in thousands more Syrian refugees, while Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary has said that migrants could turn Europeans into a minority on their own continent. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said that Europe was responsible for every migrant death.
Clashes over how to approach the crisis were expected to dominate a meeting of European Union foreign ministers on Friday in Luxembourg. Separately, members of the so-called Visegrad group of countries — the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia — were to meet in Prague to forge a common approach.
But the scheduled talks offered little comfort to the hundreds of migrants in Hungary who are desperate to make it to Germany but who find themselves stuck in a country they want to leave and that has made clear they are not welcome.
Migrants said the situation on the train was becoming unbearable, with the stench of clogged toilets wafting through the train cars. Others talked of pursing a policy of passive resistance, hoping that Hungary would cave into their demands, even as the authorities were digging in.
Laszlo Balazs, a police official in charge of border control, was quoted by the state news agency as saying that 120 migrants on a separate train, which had also stopped, had agreed to be escorted to a camp in Vamosszabadi, near the border with Slovakia, where they would be registered by immigration officials.
He said that in Bicske, too, the police were hoping to convince migrants to cooperate.
The police said they had detained over 3,000 people crossing the border illegally and 11 people suspected of people smuggling. Thousands of Hungarian soldiers are in the process of building a fence on the Serbian border to keep migrants out. Asked about a video by The New York Times, showing people identified as police spraying migrants about to cross the border with Serbia, Mr. Balazs said they were investigating the episode..
On Thursday, the Hungarian authorities reopened the gates at the Keleti station in Budapest to migrants, briefly giving them hope that they would be able to board trains for Germany, the favored destination of many because of its prosperity and welcoming stance.On Thursday, the Hungarian authorities reopened the gates at the Keleti station in Budapest to migrants, briefly giving them hope that they would be able to board trains for Germany, the favored destination of many because of its prosperity and welcoming stance.
Instead, when a train bound for the Austrian frontier halted at Bicske, outside Budapest, and the migrants realized that they were en route to a detention center, many erupted in protest.Instead, when a train bound for the Austrian frontier halted at Bicske, outside Budapest, and the migrants realized that they were en route to a detention center, many erupted in protest.
One man flung himself on to the tracks, dragging his wife and child with him, while others locked themselves in the train and refused to leave or to take food. They chanted “Germany! Germany!”One man flung himself on to the tracks, dragging his wife and child with him, while others locked themselves in the train and refused to leave or to take food. They chanted “Germany! Germany!”
In Budapest, thousands of migrants have been sleeping for days at the Keleti station and on the streets, hungry, desperate and unsure what the future holds. Many migrants in Hungary refuse to go to camps to be registered, even though regulations require them to apply for asylum in the country in which they entered the European Union. The government of Hungary has made clear that they will receive a frosty reception there. Thousands of migrants have been sleeping for days at the Keleti station and on the streets, hungry, desperate and unsure what the future holds. Many migrants in Hungary refuse to go to camps to be registered, even though regulations require them to apply for asylum in the country in which they entered the European Union.
The crisis has stoked acrimony between countries like Hungary, where Mr. Orban said on Thursday that Muslim migrants were undermining the quality of life, and France, Germany and others that insist that Europe has a legal and moral imperative to offer sanctuary.The crisis has stoked acrimony between countries like Hungary, where Mr. Orban said on Thursday that Muslim migrants were undermining the quality of life, and France, Germany and others that insist that Europe has a legal and moral imperative to offer sanctuary.
France and Germany have backed a radical overhaul of the way European Union members share the burdens of migration, suggesting that countries take in migrants according to their relative wealth and populations.France and Germany have backed a radical overhaul of the way European Union members share the burdens of migration, suggesting that countries take in migrants according to their relative wealth and populations.
That approach has met deep resistance elsewhere, amid fears that a sudden influx of migrants could undermine the European economy and way of life.That approach has met deep resistance elsewhere, amid fears that a sudden influx of migrants could undermine the European economy and way of life.
Eastern and Central European countries, which had relatively modest levels of immigration under Communist rule, have been struggling with how to integrate immigrants.Eastern and Central European countries, which had relatively modest levels of immigration under Communist rule, have been struggling with how to integrate immigrants.
On Thursday, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said that at least 100,000 migrants should be distributed across the 28-member European Union, a far more ambitious target than previously sought. Next week, the European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, is expected to announce a plan for the resettlement of at least 120,000 more migrants.On Thursday, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said that at least 100,000 migrants should be distributed across the 28-member European Union, a far more ambitious target than previously sought. Next week, the European Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, is expected to announce a plan for the resettlement of at least 120,000 more migrants.
Highlighting the challenges ahead for a coordinated response, Mr. Orban said on Friday said that Europeans risked becoming a minority in their own territory. Highlighting the challenges ahead for a coordinated response, Mr. Orban said on Friday said that Europeans risked becoming a minority in their own territory. “The reality is that Europe is threatened by a mass inflow of people, many tens of millions of people could come to Europe,” Reuters quoted Mr. Orban as saying on public radio.
“The reality is that Europe is threatened by a mass inflow of people, many tens of millions of people could come to Europe,” Reuters quoted Mr. Orban as saying on public radio.
“Now we talk about hundreds of thousands, but next year we will talk about millions and there is no end to this,” he said. “All of a sudden we will see that we are in minority in our own continent.”“Now we talk about hundreds of thousands, but next year we will talk about millions and there is no end to this,” he said. “All of a sudden we will see that we are in minority in our own continent.”
In Turkey, which has accepted huge numbers of Syrian migrants, and where the death of a young Syrian boy at sea this week drew a global outcry, Mr. Erdogan lashed out at Europe this week for its response. In Turkey, which has accepted huge numbers of Syrian migrants, Mr. Erdogan lashed out at Europe this week for its response.
“European countries, which turned the Mediterranean Sea — the cradle of ancient civilizations — into a migrant cemetery, are party to the crime that takes place when each refugee loses their life,” he said in a speech on Thursday.“European countries, which turned the Mediterranean Sea — the cradle of ancient civilizations — into a migrant cemetery, are party to the crime that takes place when each refugee loses their life,” he said in a speech on Thursday.