EU refugee crisis: Austria tightens borders, Hungary seeks answers from Germany
Austria has tightened its eastern borders, just days after the bodies
of 71 refugees were found in a truck on a highway. Meanwhile, Hungary
has asked Germany to “clarify” the legal situation with respect to
illegal migrants traveling within the EU.
"We will [carry out
checks] for an undetermined period of time at all important border
crossings in the eastern region, looking at all vehicles that have
possible hiding places for trafficked people," Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner told ORF radio Monday.
She said that the checks were not traditional border controls, adding that the country was within its legal rights.
"We are not in violation of Schengen," Mikl-Leitner said.
The checks caused the M1 motorway – a Hungarian highway leading to Austria – to be gridlocked for 20 kilometers (12 miles) on Monday morning, national news agency MTI reported.
A second main road was also jammed, according to state road operator Magyar Kozut.
The announcement came four days after the bodies of 71 refugees were found in an abandoned truck that came from Hungary.
Hungarian police said Sunday that a fifth person, a Bulgarian citizen, had been arrested in connection with the deaths. Four others – three Bulgarians and one Afghan citizen – have also been arrested.
The suspects face up to 16 years in prison for people trafficking in Hungary, as well as murder charges in Austria.
Andras Giro-Szasz said that under the EU's Schengen rules, migrants can only leave Hungary with valid travel documents and a visa from their destination country.
But Giro-Szasz says that Germany has shown a more permissive stance towards illegal immigrants arriving from Syria, adding that the news has “boosted hopes” among migrants.
"In order to end the non-transparent and adverse conditions we ask Germany to clarify the legal situation," he said.
Meanwhile, German government officials took to Twitter on Monday to deny claims that there are “special trains” carrying migrants to Germany from Hungary, adding that asylum seekers arriving in Hungary must be registered there first.
"No, there are no special trains," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert wrote. "People who come to Hungary must register and seek asylum there."
Reuters reported Monday that migrants in Hungary are now being allowed onto trains bound for Vienna and Germany. Hundreds reportedly gathered in front of the international ticket office to buy tickets.
State television channel M1 also reported that migrants with valid documents and train tickets were being allowed to board a train to Munich on Monday morning.
Around
10,000 are believed to have crossed into Hungary from Serbia in the
last week alone. In total, about 150,000 migrants have been detained
already this year in Hungary – more than triple the figure recorded for
all of 2014.
Hungary has constructed a 4-meter-high fence along its border with Serbia and is working to build another one. The move has been criticized by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
"Hungary is very severe. Hungary is part of Europe. Europe has some values and it doesn't respect these values. Like this razor wire barrier they built,” Fabius told Europe 1 channel on Sunday.
Fico said the meeting would take place on Friday or Sunday, and would include the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary.
EU interior ministers are also planning to conduct emergency talks to discuss the crisis, which officials say is the worst since World War II.
"The situation of the migration phenomena outside and inside the European Union has recently taken on unprecedented proportions," the Luxembourg government, which holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, said in a statement Sunday.
The talks, which will take place on September 14 in Brussels, have been scheduled “to assess the situation on the ground, the political actions under way and to discuss the next steps in order to strengthen the European response,” the Luxembourg statement said.
The announcement followed calls for talks from Germany, France, and Britain earlier on Sunday.
She said that the checks were not traditional border controls, adding that the country was within its legal rights.
"We are not in violation of Schengen," Mikl-Leitner said.
RT
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The checks caused the M1 motorway – a Hungarian highway leading to Austria – to be gridlocked for 20 kilometers (12 miles) on Monday morning, national news agency MTI reported.
A second main road was also jammed, according to state road operator Magyar Kozut.
The announcement came four days after the bodies of 71 refugees were found in an abandoned truck that came from Hungary.
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Hungarian police said Sunday that a fifth person, a Bulgarian citizen, had been arrested in connection with the deaths. Four others – three Bulgarians and one Afghan citizen – have also been arrested.
The suspects face up to 16 years in prison for people trafficking in Hungary, as well as murder charges in Austria.
Hungary turns to Germany
Meanwhile, Hungary has asked Germany to clarify the legal situation surrounding illegal migrants traveling within the European Union, a Hungarian government spokesman told MTI on Monday.Andras Giro-Szasz said that under the EU's Schengen rules, migrants can only leave Hungary with valid travel documents and a visa from their destination country.
But Giro-Szasz says that Germany has shown a more permissive stance towards illegal immigrants arriving from Syria, adding that the news has “boosted hopes” among migrants.
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For this reason, he is seeking clarification from Berlin.
"In order to end the non-transparent and adverse conditions we ask Germany to clarify the legal situation," he said.
Meanwhile, German government officials took to Twitter on Monday to deny claims that there are “special trains” carrying migrants to Germany from Hungary, adding that asylum seekers arriving in Hungary must be registered there first.
"No, there are no special trains," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert wrote. "People who come to Hungary must register and seek asylum there."
Reuters reported Monday that migrants in Hungary are now being allowed onto trains bound for Vienna and Germany. Hundreds reportedly gathered in front of the international ticket office to buy tickets.
State television channel M1 also reported that migrants with valid documents and train tickets were being allowed to board a train to Munich on Monday morning.
‘Show some humanity!’ @AmnestyUK attacks govt over migrant crisis response http://on.rt.com/6q31 (Via @RTUKnews)
Hungary has constructed a 4-meter-high fence along its border with Serbia and is working to build another one. The move has been criticized by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
"Hungary is very severe. Hungary is part of Europe. Europe has some values and it doesn't respect these values. Like this razor wire barrier they built,” Fabius told Europe 1 channel on Sunday.
Escalating crisis
As refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other nations continue to pour into Europe in staggeringly high numbers, Central European leaders plan to meet at the end of this week to discuss the crisis, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Monday.Fico said the meeting would take place on Friday or Sunday, and would include the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary.
EU interior ministers are also planning to conduct emergency talks to discuss the crisis, which officials say is the worst since World War II.
"The situation of the migration phenomena outside and inside the European Union has recently taken on unprecedented proportions," the Luxembourg government, which holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, said in a statement Sunday.
The talks, which will take place on September 14 in Brussels, have been scheduled “to assess the situation on the ground, the political actions under way and to discuss the next steps in order to strengthen the European response,” the Luxembourg statement said.
The announcement followed calls for talks from Germany, France, and Britain earlier on Sunday.