Chaos at Hungarian train station as migrant crisis in Europe deepens - latimes

Chaos in Europe over the daily influx of thousands of migrants and refugees deepened Tuesday as authorities in Hungary briefly shut down the main railway station in Budapest and European leaders sparred over who was to blame for worsening the crisis.

Hundreds of migrants hoping to travel to Germany protested outside the central train terminal in Budapest after police in the Hungarian capital barred them from entering and boarding trains. Authorities closed down the station for a short period, then took to letting in only passengers with proper documentation allowing travel on to other European Union nations.

Under intense sun that sent temperatures climbing into the 90s, the angry would-be passengers were kept back from the terminal by police officers in red caps into the evening. Some waved the tickets that had cost them several hundred dollars while others held aloft placards pleading for Germany to send help.

Germany has become the preferred destination for countless refugees hoping for more generous benefits and a faster asylum process. The government in Berlin says that it is expecting 800,000 asylum seekers this year and that it will expedite applications from Syrians who arrive in Germany regardless of where they first entered Europe.

But what some see as an act of compassion, other European leaders see as fuel for a crisis they’re ill-equipped to handle. Officials in Austria and Hungary, in particular, complain that Berlin has opened the floodgates to a tide of humanity that courses through their countries first, overwhelming their ability to process new arrivals under European Union regulations  and choking transport routes into Germany.

The finger-pointing casts doubt on whether the EU can agree on a unified approach to the crisis when justice and interior ministers from all 28 member states convene for an emergency meeting in two weeks. The current patchwork of asylum and refugee policies has sown confusion and tension among both migrants and the countries faced with their arrival.

“I see no responsibility on Germany’s part,” Merkel said after a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. “It has been said that those arriving in Germany are most likely to receive asylum or status as a refugee fleeing civil war. That’s no surprise given the situation in Syria, and this should be the case in all other EU countries.” - Read More at latimes

Chaos at Hungarian train station as migrant crisis in Europe deepens

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