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Migrants in Hungary Remain in Tense Standoff at Bicske Station Europe in Talks as Stranded Migrants Grow Desperate
(about 2 hours later)
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. LONDON — Hundreds of migrants remained locked in a tense standoff with the police on Friday at the Bicske station outside Budapest, while hundreds of others stormed out of a camp in the country’s south, highlighting the desperation of migrants determined to flee Hungary.
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. At the Keleti station in Budapest, where thousands of people have been stranded, a group of roughly 1,000 migrants left the station and began walking toward Germany.
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 reflected the divisions in Europe over how to respond to the migration crisis: Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain said on Friday that his country would take in thousands more Syrians, while Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary said that migrants could turn Europeans into a minority on their own continent, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said that Europe was responsible for every migrant death.
In Syria, a funeral was held for Aylan Kurdi, the 3-year-old 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. Clashes over how to deal with the large influx of migrants from Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere were expected to dominate a meeting of European Union foreign ministers on Friday in Luxembourg. Separately, representatives 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.
Reflecting the split over how Europe should respond, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday that Britain would take in thousands more Syrians, 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. But the scheduled talks offered little comfort to the migrants in Hungary who hope to make it to Germany but who find themselves stuck in a country that they want to leave and that has made clear they are not welcome.
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. Subhi, a 17-year-old migrant from Damascus, Syria, said at the Keleti station on Friday that he was among those planning to go by foot, even though he walks with a limp. “I’m fed up,” he said. “I’m going to walk all the way to Germany to get treatment.”
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. Imad Sbeih, a 50-year-old man in a wheelchair who is also from Damascus, was equally determined. “Nothing but death will stop us,” he said.
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. The local news media reported that up to 300 migrants escaped from a camp at Roszke, in southern Hungary, on Friday morning, running into a field and crossing a highway with the police chasing them.
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. In Bicske, migrants continued to barricade themselves in a train to avoid being sent to a nearby camp. Others fled the train and escaped. Those who were still on the train overnight slept on the floor, on baggage racks or wherever they could find refuge. Many refused to eat as a show of protest.
Migrants said the situation on the train was becoming unbearable, with the stench of clogged toilets wafting through the 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 Hungarian 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 persuade migrants to cooperate.He said that in Bicske, too, the police were hoping to persuade migrants to cooperate.
The police said they had detained over 3,000 people crossing the border illegally and 11 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 officers spraying migrants about to cross the border with Serbia, Mr. Balazs said they were investigating the episode. The police said they had detained over 3,000 people crossing the border illegally and 11 suspected of people smuggling. Thousands of Hungarian soldiers are in the process of building a fence on the Serbian border intended to keep migrants out. Asked about a video by The New York Times, showing people identified as police officers 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, briefly giving them hope that they would be able to board trains for Germany, the favored destination of many because of its relative 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 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!”
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 responsibilities of coping with the crisis, 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. In Britain, Mr. Cameron responded to what his critics call indifference to the migration crisis by vowing to accept thousands more Syrians — but only from existing camps near the conflict zone. Leaders are trying to find the difficult balance between offering assistance and not encouraging more people to head to Europe.
Eastern and Central European countries, which had relatively modest levels of immigration under Communist rule, have been struggling with how to integrate immigrants. Mr. Cameron, who is trying to manage anti-immigration sentiment in the country as well as in his own Conservative Party, had been criticized for dismissing on Wednesday the idea of Britain adhering to a quota system for taking in asylum seekers who reached Europe.
“We have taken a number of genuine asylum seekers from Syrian refugee camps, and we keep that under review,” Mr. Cameron said, “but we think the most important thing is to try to bring peace and stability to that part of the world.”
He added, “I don’t think there is an answer that can be achieved simply by taking more and more refugees.”
Mr. Cameron gave no details or firm numbers on the number of people Britain would take in. But Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said that the country would take in 4,000 more Syrians.
Mr. Cameron also emphasized that Britain is spending 900 million pounds, about $1.37 billion, this year to aid Syrians with food, shelter and medical supplies. In the past four years, roughly 5,000 Syrians have been granted asylum in Britain.
The head of the United Nations refugee agency chief, António Guterres, said on Friday that the European Union should take in 200,000 people under an emergency relocation program.
The appeal highlighted the escalation in the movement of migrants, with more than 310,000 reaching southern Europe.
Less than five months ago, when as many as 900 people died off the coast of Africa, the refugee agency called for Europe to take in 40,000 people.
Such a plan could work only if accompanied by the creation of adequate reception areas, he said, calling for the European Union to set up such camps in Greece, Hungary and Italy.
The United Nations reported on Thursday that 5,600 migrants had crossed the border into Macedonia, the highest one-day total on record, and that 3,300 more had entered Hungary.
The acceptance of large numbers of migrants 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 into society.
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. “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.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.
“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, 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.
In Syria, a funeral was held for Aylan Kurdi, the 3-year-old boy whose drowning set off a global outcry after photographs of his body 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.