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WORLD NEWSFriday 2 October 2015
Migrant Crisis
Eastern Europeans to cooperate on border control
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — nearly $100 million to help Migrants walk to the border between Hungary and Austria in Hegyeshalom, Hungary, Thursday,
Hungary says it is in “con- handle the influx that has
stant consultations” with strained the European Oct. 1, 2015. The European Union is threatening to take action against Hungary over laws it has
Poland, the Czech Repub- Union.
lic and Slovakia about co- The office of the U.N. High introduced to limit the flow of migrants through its territory. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
operating on issues of bor- Commissioner for Refugees
der defense. on Thursday increased its a month ago and was used Thursday, Sobotka said: threatening to take ac-
Janos Lazar, Prime Minis- “emergency appeal” for by hundreds of people “We’re in the middle of a tion against Hungary over
ter Viktor Orban’s chief of donations to its Europe pro- from war-torn nations like battle over a realistic ap- laws it has introduced to
staff, said Thursday that Or- gram to $128 million, from Syria and Iraq who were proach of the entire Euro- limit the flow of migrants
ban had talked about the $30.5 million made just last seeking asylum in Belgium. pean Union to the migrant through its territory.
issue with the leaders of the month. The new appeal Vanessa Van Strijthem, an crisis. The Czech Republic Hungary introduced laws
three other countries in the would broaden the re- organizer at the camp, will vote against such a on Sept. 21 making it a
so-called Visegrad Group. sponse in the program be- said that the volunteers proposal. No government criminal offence to cross its
Lazar said over 291,000 mi- yond Europe to the Middle would still have an office would be able to change border illegally or damage
grants had entered Hun- East and Africa. nearby where refugees such a mechanism in the an anti-migration razor-
gary so far this year, includ- UNHCR upped its already- could come for help dur- future.” wire fence it erected.
ing 87,000 who crossed outdated estimate of mi- ing the day, but would Last week, EU ministers The head of the European
over from Croatia after grant and refugee inflows need to refer them to bunk agreed to redistribute Commission’s migration
Hungary shut down its bor- in 2015 from 400,000 pre- beds the government has 120,000 asylum-seekers and protection wing, Lau-
der with Serbia on Sept. 15 viously. The agency esti- set up in an office tower. in EU member states de- rent Muschel, told EU law-
with a 4-meter (13-feet) mates that 520,957 people “We’re going to keep on spite opposition from the makers Thursday that there
high fence protected by — more than half from Syria fighting but we are only Czech Republic, Slovakia, are “a number of issues
razor wire, police and mili- — have crossed the Medi- citizens. We need the gov- Hungary and Romania. that we find problematic in
tary patrols. terranean to reach Europe ernment to take its respon- Slovakia is planning to their new legislation.”
Lazar said that a similar this year, and some 2,980 sibility,” she said. challenge that. Sobotka He said that “we are ready
fence being built on the people have died trying. Czech Prime Minister Bo- said the EU decision was to take any further steps if
border with Croatia would Volunteers are closing huslav Sobotka says his bad but the Czechs would needed.” He did not go
be completed soon, mak- down a tent camp in Brus- country is opposing any respect it. into details but said the
ing it possible “to defend sels where they have host- large European Union plan Interior Minister Milan Commission would lay out
Hungary and Europe.” ed hundreds of migrants for a permanent compul- Chovanec said Thurs- its concerns in a letter to
The U.N. refugee agency seeking shelter in the Eu- sory redistribution of asy- day EU ministers will discuss Hungary by the end of this
now predicts that 700,000 ropean Union and say Bel- lum-seekers among the the larger plan for the per- week.
refugees and migrants will gian authorities need to bloc’s 28 nations. manent redistribution of The EU’s border agency
have traveled to Europe take over their task. During a debate on the the migrants at their Oct. 8 says more than 155,000
this year, and is seeking The camp was set up over migrant crisis in the lower meeting in Luxembourg. people have crossed Hun-
house of Parliament on The European Union is gary’s borders this year.q
Spain PM calls general election for Dec 20
MADRID (AP) — Spanish servative Popular Party Podemos (We Can) party
Prime Minister Mariano Ra- may win most seats but and the centrist Ciudada-
joy has called a much-an- will likely lose the majority nos (Citizens) party.
ticipated general election it secured in 2011. Ciudadanos became the
for Dec. 20 that will show- The Socialist Party is the second-most important
case four parties vying for primary opposition but party in northeastern Cat-
power. two newcomers have alonia following a regional
Rajoy made the an- emerged this year as seri- parliamentary election on
nouncement Thursday ous political forces among Sunday.
night during an interview Spaniards fed up with aus- Candidates backed by
on Spain’s Antena 3 televi- terity and official corrup- Podemos in May became
sion channel. tion. the mayors of Madrid and
Polls suggest Rajoy’s con- They are the far-left Barcelona.q
