Hundreds of police escorted the migrants out of the Eastern Railway station and blocked their reentry on Tuesday, after an announcement over the loudspeakers ordered all passengers evacuate.
There were no reports of clashes, unlike earlier in the day, when hundreds tried to board a Vienna-bound train but were blocked by police.
After being pushed out, the migrants congregated outside the station, where they have set up makeshift camps. Some chanted "Freedom! Freedom!" or "Germany! Germany!" – the preferred destination for many.
Austrian authorities say a total of 3,650 migrants arrived in Vienna Monday. It is the highest daily total this year and the latest in a staggering wave of people seeking asylum in the European Union.
Seeking asylum
When asked why officials had closed the station and stopped the flow of migrants, a Hungary government spokesman said officials are trying to adhere to EU law, according to Reuters.
Under EU rules, migrants must seek asylum in the first country they enter. That means Hungary is technically prevented from allowing the migrants from passing on to Austria and Germany.
The inconsistent application of the rules has left many of the migrants in limbo, since many have neither the necessary documents nor the money to purchase train tickets.
On Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on European countries to quickly come up with a joint asylum policy, which she said would include setting up migrant registration centers at crucial transit points.
- "We agree that the EU Commission should define safe countries of origin and that registration centers be set up in Italy and Greece as part of an EU joint effort," said the German leader during a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
While acknowledging that war refugees and others with a "persecuted background" must be "allocated in Europe," Chancellor Merkel stressed that those coming for economic reasons must be taken back to their countries.
Germany has accepted more refugees than any other European country, a total that could reach 800,000 by the end of the year. But Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland are among countries that have blocked a plan for European Union member states to accept specific numbers of refugees.
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country "will never agree" to a quota on the number of refugees it will accept.
Economic reasons
Fico said most of the migrants heading to Europe from war-wracked countries in the Middle East and Africa are making the dangerous journey to Europe for economic reasons and should be returned to their homelands.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Sunday accused eastern European states, particularly Hungary, of "scandalous" policies toward migrants that go against European Union values.
Budapest is building a 4-meter fence along its southern border with Serbia to keep migrants from crossing into Hungary.
Hungary State Secretary Levente Magyar told the national news agency that the government rejected all "mean adjectives and accusations" made by Fabius.
General William Lacy Swing, head of the International Organization for Migration, said aid groups like his are willing to help European governments deal with the influx of migrants, but that some parts of Europe needed to overcome the "fear factor" about accepting the refugees.
The 28-member EU plans to hold emergency talks on the migrant issue on September 14.
voanews.com
1/9/15
--
-
Related:
-
GR
FR
DE
ES
IT
RU
EU
No comments :
Post a Comment
Only News