Hungarian police use tear gas, water cannon on refugees at border

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11 years ago

Hungarian riot policemen run as they are deployed at the border crossing with Serbia in Roszke, Hungary September 16, 2015. Hungarian riot police, backed by water cannon and armoured vehicles, moved into position at a border crossing on Wednesday where migrants were demanding they be allowed to cross from Serbia, a U.N. official at the scene told Reuters. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic – RTS1DXN

Hungarian police use tear gas, water cannon on refugees at border

Hungarian police have deployed tear gas and water cannon against asylum seekers, who broke through razor wire fence at the border crossing with Serbia, media reports say.

Police have been reportedly trying to control the crowd, who were throwing plastic bottles, stones and concrete at them. Thick black smoke is covering the area, as seen in the videos.

Hungarian police told Reuters that several “aggressive” people had managed to break through the border gates.

“Police are taking lawful and proportionate measures to protect the Hungarian state border and the external frontier of the European Union,” law enforcers said in a statement.

At least 366 asylum seekers were rounded up by Hungarian police on Tuesday, police data showed. The numbers have reduced greatly from Tuesday when Budapest said they would close the main land route for asylum seekers entering the EU. Earlier on Monday at least 9,380 were rounded up by Hungarian police.

Hungarian authorities are struggling to deal with massive influx of asylum seekers. On Monday, they finished erecting razor wire fences along the border. An apocalyptic-looking train wagon with razor wire attached at the front was used to seal a railway passage near the village of Roszke. This blocked off the last crossing point with Serbia except for official road checkpoints.

On Tuesday, Hungary decided to declare a crisis in two southern counties due to the influx of asylum seekers. According to Gyorgy Bakondi, head of the national disaster unit, the border zone in these counties would be extended to 60 meters from 10 meters.
“This can serve to temporarily place persons seeking refugee or protected status as well as to process asylum claims and alien registration procedures,” he said.

Later, police data showed that only 366 asylum seekers had been rounded up by Hungarian police on Tuesday. On Monday at least 9,380 were rounded up by Hungarian police.

http://www.rt.com/news/315547-hungary-refugees-water-cannon/