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| Europe Lacks Strategy to Tackle Crisis, but Migrants March On | Europe Lacks Strategy to Tackle Crisis, but Migrants March On |
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| BERLIN — Europe’s failure to agree on a coherent strategy to deal with the migration crisis continued to have ripple effects across the Continent on Thursday, as undaunted asylum seekers moved on despite conflicting policies, tensions between nations and new obstacles. | |
| Border camps in Serbia began to dissipate and thousands of migrants headed west toward Croatia, a day after Hungary showed its resolve by firing water cannons and tear gas at migrants who tried to breach a heavily guarded border gate. | Border camps in Serbia began to dissipate and thousands of migrants headed west toward Croatia, a day after Hungary showed its resolve by firing water cannons and tear gas at migrants who tried to breach a heavily guarded border gate. |
| Buses in Serbia carried migrants to the border with Croatia, which has said that asylum seekers would be free to pass through the country. But another problem awaited them what was the next likely step on their journey: Slovenia, on the route to preferred destinations in the wealthier parts of Europe, indicated that it was unwilling to provide a transit corridor to Austria. | |
| As migrants continued to look for new ways to reach Europe, the top migration official in Germany stepped down on Thursday after coming under fire for a post on Twitter from his office last month that is widely viewed as having encouraged Syrians to come to his country. | |
| Croatia opened two border crossings with neighboring Serbia on Thursday morning, hoping to avoid a bottleneck after more than 6,000 migrants entered the Balkan nation from Wednesday to midmorning Thursday. | Croatia opened two border crossings with neighboring Serbia on Thursday morning, hoping to avoid a bottleneck after more than 6,000 migrants entered the Balkan nation from Wednesday to midmorning Thursday. |
| A large number had been taken overnight to northern Serbia en route to Croatia, the news agency said, although some migrants remained at the border with Hungary. | A large number had been taken overnight to northern Serbia en route to Croatia, the news agency said, although some migrants remained at the border with Hungary. |
| The towns of Ilok and Batina, which straddle the border with Serbia, have been transformed into makeshift migrant-processing centers, along with Tovarnik, which on Wednesday was the sole point of entry for most migrants. | The towns of Ilok and Batina, which straddle the border with Serbia, have been transformed into makeshift migrant-processing centers, along with Tovarnik, which on Wednesday was the sole point of entry for most migrants. |
| There are plans to use abandoned buildings throughout the country, including an unused former mental institution near the town of Osijek, to deal with the influx of migrants. | There are plans to use abandoned buildings throughout the country, including an unused former mental institution near the town of Osijek, to deal with the influx of migrants. |
| “We have complete control,” Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic said at a news conference in Tovarnik on Wednesday night. “If, however, big waves start arriving from Serbia, then we have to think about different procedures. This means the E.U. at that point must create ‘hot spots’ for the migrants before they reach the Croatian border. The situation in which there are so many people without controls is unacceptable.” | “We have complete control,” Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic said at a news conference in Tovarnik on Wednesday night. “If, however, big waves start arriving from Serbia, then we have to think about different procedures. This means the E.U. at that point must create ‘hot spots’ for the migrants before they reach the Croatian border. The situation in which there are so many people without controls is unacceptable.” |
| The Croatian foreign minister, Vesna Pusic, reiterated that migrants would be allowed to travel to their final destinations beyond the country, and that migrants would not be arrested. | The Croatian foreign minister, Vesna Pusic, reiterated that migrants would be allowed to travel to their final destinations beyond the country, and that migrants would not be arrested. |
| “They are free,” she told Croatian television, noting that the ultimate goal for many is Germany. “They are not in jail. They can move freely in this period.” | “They are free,” she told Croatian television, noting that the ultimate goal for many is Germany. “They are not in jail. They can move freely in this period.” |
| On Wednesday, the Hungarian riot police fired tear gas and water cannons at hundreds of migrants after they tried to push through a gate at the border with Serbia. The use of force by the Hungarian authorities, a turning point in the migration crisis, was castigated by the United Nations, and advocates questioned whether Hungary was breaching its obligations under international law. | On Wednesday, the Hungarian riot police fired tear gas and water cannons at hundreds of migrants after they tried to push through a gate at the border with Serbia. The use of force by the Hungarian authorities, a turning point in the migration crisis, was castigated by the United Nations, and advocates questioned whether Hungary was breaching its obligations under international law. |
| Hungary, for its part, said it was responding to a violent rebellion and that it had detained 29 people, including one who was described as a “terrorist.” The government said that two children were injured when they were thrown over the border, and that 20 police officers had been injured during the clashes. | Hungary, for its part, said it was responding to a violent rebellion and that it had detained 29 people, including one who was described as a “terrorist.” The government said that two children were injured when they were thrown over the border, and that 20 police officers had been injured during the clashes. |
| The Serbian interior minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic, said Wednesday evening that his country had protested to Hungary over the use of tear gas fired onto Serbian territory. He also promised to send additional police forces to the border. | The Serbian interior minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic, said Wednesday evening that his country had protested to Hungary over the use of tear gas fired onto Serbian territory. He also promised to send additional police forces to the border. |
| Although Croatia is allowing migrants to pass through the country unimpeded, there were already some signs that its generally tolerant and welcoming attitude toward refugees may not last. Countries like Croatia and Serbia have weaker economies than many of their Western European counterparts and are ill-prepared for a large influx of refugees. | Although Croatia is allowing migrants to pass through the country unimpeded, there were already some signs that its generally tolerant and welcoming attitude toward refugees may not last. Countries like Croatia and Serbia have weaker economies than many of their Western European counterparts and are ill-prepared for a large influx of refugees. |
| Drago Zuparic-Iljic, a sociologist at the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies in Zagreb, said Croats were offering a warm welcome, mindful of their own struggles during the bloody ethnic wars of the 1990s. He warned, however, that an embrace could transform into a backlash, if extremists were allowed to hijack the debate. | Drago Zuparic-Iljic, a sociologist at the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies in Zagreb, said Croats were offering a warm welcome, mindful of their own struggles during the bloody ethnic wars of the 1990s. He warned, however, that an embrace could transform into a backlash, if extremists were allowed to hijack the debate. |
| “The danger remains with extremists who can mobilize others with inaccuracies about migrants carrying disease, weapons or seeking only economic help,” he said, pointing to posts on social media that depict the migrants as terrorists or economic opportunists from countries other than Syria. | “The danger remains with extremists who can mobilize others with inaccuracies about migrants carrying disease, weapons or seeking only economic help,” he said, pointing to posts on social media that depict the migrants as terrorists or economic opportunists from countries other than Syria. |
| The police in Austria were bracing for an influx of migrants on the country’s southern border, with Slovenia, as migrants tried to find alternatives to Hungary. | The police in Austria were bracing for an influx of migrants on the country’s southern border, with Slovenia, as migrants tried to find alternatives to Hungary. |
| But on Wednesday, officials in Slovenia refused a suggestion from Croatia to create a corridor through the country, with Vesna Gyorkos Znidar, Slovenia’s interior minister, insisting that it was “out of the question,” Austrian public television, ORF, said. | But on Wednesday, officials in Slovenia refused a suggestion from Croatia to create a corridor through the country, with Vesna Gyorkos Znidar, Slovenia’s interior minister, insisting that it was “out of the question,” Austrian public television, ORF, said. |
| The Slovenian government introduced border controls with Hungary early Thursday morning, calling it a temporary but necessary measure to ensure public security. | The Slovenian government introduced border controls with Hungary early Thursday morning, calling it a temporary but necessary measure to ensure public security. |
| The government has prepared a list of 21 existing centers and abandoned buildings that could be used to accommodate refugees, including an asylum center in the capital, Ljubljana, and empty army barracks, hotels and old schools. | The government has prepared a list of 21 existing centers and abandoned buildings that could be used to accommodate refugees, including an asylum center in the capital, Ljubljana, and empty army barracks, hotels and old schools. |
| In Germany, Manfred Schmidt, president of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, quit a little more than three weeks after his office posted a message on Twitter on Aug. 25 stating that Syrians refugees would be granted asylum in Germany, regardless of how they had reached the country. | |
| The tweet, based on a technical decision circulated in Mr. Schmidt’s office, was aimed at speeding up the decision time for new asylum applications. But it quickly went viral in the Arabic-speaking world, where the decision was interpreted as Germany throwing open its doors. | The tweet, based on a technical decision circulated in Mr. Schmidt’s office, was aimed at speeding up the decision time for new asylum applications. But it quickly went viral in the Arabic-speaking world, where the decision was interpreted as Germany throwing open its doors. |
| Within days, tens of thousands had gathered at Budapest’s Keleti station, chanting “Germany, Germany,” and seeking to travel west and leading Hungarian officials to criticize what it saw as Berlin’s unilateral rescinding of European Union policy. | Within days, tens of thousands had gathered at Budapest’s Keleti station, chanting “Germany, Germany,” and seeking to travel west and leading Hungarian officials to criticize what it saw as Berlin’s unilateral rescinding of European Union policy. |
| That effectively rescinded Germany’s pledge to abide by an agreement that requires migrants to apply for asylum in the first European Union country they reach, and it played a crucial role in sparking the mass migration toward Europe in recent weeks. | That effectively rescinded Germany’s pledge to abide by an agreement that requires migrants to apply for asylum in the first European Union country they reach, and it played a crucial role in sparking the mass migration toward Europe in recent weeks. |
| Germany has said it now expects one million migrants to reach the country this year, and the migration office was the subject of criticism that it had failed to speed up the processing of the more than 250,000 applications for asylum, even as thousands more are submitted daily. | Germany has said it now expects one million migrants to reach the country this year, and the migration office was the subject of criticism that it had failed to speed up the processing of the more than 250,000 applications for asylum, even as thousands more are submitted daily. |
| Germany’s Interior Ministry, responsible for the migration office, said that Mr. Schmidt, 56, had cited “personal reasons” for his decision to leave the position he has held for five years. | Germany’s Interior Ministry, responsible for the migration office, said that Mr. Schmidt, 56, had cited “personal reasons” for his decision to leave the position he has held for five years. |