Germany opens its borders to migrants from Syria

About 3,700 refugees coming by train from Hungary via Austria have arrived at Munich central station by early Saturday evening, with another 3,000 still expected to come later in the night. So hundreds set off by foot, saying they would walk to the Austrian border, 170 km away, like others had tried on Friday. Another large group spent two days on a station near the capital after police stopped their train.

Buses also picked people up from Budapest’s Keleti railway station, where thousands had been camped for days.

He was among hundreds of men, woman and children whose train was held at Bicske, west of Budapest, as they attempted to travel to the Austrian border.

“On the basis of the current situation of need, Austria and Germany agree to allow in this case the onward journey of these refugees into their countries”, Chancellor Werner Faymann of Austria wrote on his Facebook page.

Hungary is more a transit point than a destination on a long journey to wealthier nations such as Austria and Germany, where they hope to claim asylum.

She went on to say that the country has “the strength” to provide what the migrants need.

Hungarian officials have painted the crisis as a defence of Europe’s prosperity, identity and “Christian values” against an influx of mainly Muslim migrants. Worldwide tickets will be accepted on domestic trains, it said.

“Each member state may build on its experience, best practices and available resources; principles agreed at the highest political level, including in European Council conclusions must be respected; any proposal leading to the introduction of mandatory and permanent quotas for solidarity measures would be unacceptable”, the declaration said.

Germany provided refuge to 104,460 migrants in August and is expected to take in a total of 800,000 this year alone. Only a few dozen, however, elected to seek asylum in Austria after being transported by bus from Hungary, while the rest continued on to Germany.

Merkel said that would prevent the uncontrolled entry into Europe of people who might pose a security threat.

The Hungarian parliament on Friday approved tougher border controls and penalties for migrants, underlining divisions within the European Union on how to tackle the crisis.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has taken a hard line against the migrants, warning against the arrival of so many Muslims from a “profoundly different culture”, said Saturday it was “unacceptable” for people to block motorways.

Hungary had relented in its demand for the travelers to report to government-run asylum centers when challenged by defiant migrants largely from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Don’t criticize Hungary for what is being done”.