Hungary uses tear gas on migrants at border

Hundreds break through fence made of razor-wire

HUNGARIAN POLICE have used tear gas and water cannon on hundreds of migrants who broke through a razor wire fence on the border with Serbia.

Meanwhile, thousands of refugees prevented from moving through Hungary are now taking a longer route into Western Europe through Croatia.

Frustrated migrants blocked on the Serbian side of the border threw plastic water bottlers at rows of helmeted riot police and chanted demands that the border be re-opened.

Police responded with tear gas, but there were no apparent injuries.

Some women pushed to the front of the crowd and held small babies and children above their heads as they faced police in an obvious appeal for mercy, but no one made it through.

The incident took place at a small border crossing in Horgos, a short distance from the main border crossing into Hungary.

Hungarian authorities also said that they have arrested a total of 519 migrants who tried to cross the border since tough new laws went into effect on Tuesday that make it a crime to cross from

Serbia anywhere other than at legal checkpoints.

In the past few months, Hungary has become a main entry point into the European Union for migrants, many of whom are war refugees from Syria and Iraq, with more than 200,000 entering the country so far this year.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has blamed Europe for the crisis, saying it is a direct result of the West’s support for extremists in Syria over the past four years.

Meanwhile, the first group of Syrian refugees to be taken in under the Government’s expanded resettlement programme will arrive in Britain in the coming days, home Secretary Theresa May has said.

The refugees will be arriving from camps in countries that border war-ravaged Syria and will count towards the 20,000 the UK has agreed to take over the next four and a half years.

Mrs May said the Government was “working at speed” to plan for even more arrivals in the coming weeks.

She said one of Syrian Refugee Minister Richard Harrington’s first commitments will be to hold a meeting with NGOs to work out how best to harness the public’s desire to help. She said: The response of the British public has been one of overwhelming generosity,”

Calderdale Council has pledged to welcome 50 Syrian refugees to the borough, over the next two years.

Leader of Calderdale Council Coun Tim Swift said: “Over the past few days, most people have been moved by the images of the problems facing the refugees forced out of their homes by the war in Syria.

“That’s why Calderdale Council has agreed on a cross-party basis that we should be playing our part in helping.”

The response

has been one of overwhelming generosity Home Secretary

Theresa May