- Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/VIENNA TRAIN STATION Trains packed with refugees arrive in Vienna
- Date: 31st August 2015
- Summary: VIENNA, AUSTRIA (AUGUST 31, 2015) (REUTERS) TRAIN ARRIVING TO VIENNA STATION/MEDIA WAITING TWO REFUGEE GIRLS SMILING AND WAVING FROM TRAIN WINDOW GROUP OF REFUGEES SITTING INSIDE TRAIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAN FROM SYRIA, SMILING, GIVING THUMBS UP, AND SAYING: "Munich, Munich, Allemania, Allemania (Germany, Germany)" MAN'S WIFE AND SMALL CHILD TWO MEN SITTING IN TRAIN GROUP OF REFUGEES INSIDE TRAIN VIEW OF VIENNA AS SEEN FROM TRAIN AS TRAIN COMES INTO STATION MAN LOOKING OUT THROUGH TRAIN WINDOW AS TRAIN APPROACHES VIENNA TWO MEN LOOKING AT MOBILE PHONE CLOSE OF PHONE SCREEN SHOWING VIDEO OF REFUGEES DISEMBARKING IN GREECE MAN STANDING IN TRAIN SHOWING PHONE SCREEN PLAYING VIDEO PEOPLE INSIDE TRAIN CARRIAGE WALKING GROUP OF REFUGEES SMILING/MAN TAKING PICTURES OF THEM PEOPLE SMILING AND CHATTING INSIDE TRAIN VARIOUS OF PEOPLE GETTING OFF TRAIN AT VIENNA'S WESTBANHOF STATION VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS OF VIENNA ON PLATFORM GIVING WATER TO MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES BANNER HELD BY RESIDENTS OF VIENNA ON STATION PLATFORM, READING "NO BORDER, NO NATION/PATRIARCHY" BANNER WITH PEOPLE AROUND/WOMAN ON PLATFORM SHOUTING "WELCOME" REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS SMILING AND WALKING TO PLATFORM WITH TRAIN BOUND TO GERMANY SYRIAN FAMILY PUTTING FRUIT GIVEN TO THEM INTO PLASTIC BAGS PEOPLE WALKING ON PLATFORM LOOKING FOR TRAIN TO GERMANY GROUP OF REFUGEES WITH CHILDREN BOARDING OVERCROWDED TRAIN WOMAN WITH SMALL BABY TRYING TO BOARD TRAIN PEOPLE WITH SMALL CHILDREN WAITING TO BOARD TRAIN TO GERMANY/LITTLE GIRL LOOKING ON CROWD ON PLATFORM TRYING TO BOARD TRAIN RAILWAY OFFICIAL THROWS HANDS UP IN DESPAIR AS MORE PEOPLE TRY TO BOARD TRAIN LITTLE BOY STANDING INSIDE TRAIN DOOR, SMILING, SHOWING PEACE SIGN GROUP OF IRAQI REFUGEES SMILING AND SAYING "IRAQ IRAQ" WOMAN WITH SMALL BABY WALKING ON PLATFORM REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS WALKING TOWARDS TRAIN MAN LOOKING OUT FROM TRAIN GERMANY-BOUND TRAIN LEAVING VIENNA STATION
- Embargoed: 15th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Austria
- Country: Austria
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAF3QO1W07WKPY1OJVVH3ZMYWOO
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Trains carrying hundreds of migrants arrived in Vienna on Monday (August 31) after Austrian authorities appeared to give up trying to apply European Union rules by filtering out refugees who had already claimed asylum in Hungary.
In the latest twist in a humanitarian and political crisis that is now testing the survival of both Europe's open-border regime and its asylum rules, Hungary allowed the migrants, many of them fleeing Syria's civil war, to cram into at least four trains leaving Budapest for Austria or Germany.
Many of the refugees arriving in Vienna's Westbanhof railway station on Monday evening immediately raced to board trains heading on to Germany, as policemen looked on passively, preferring not to intervene.
A train also arrived in Munich from Budapest on Monday evening. German police said there were about 200 on board.
One of the trains was stuck for hours in searing summer heat at the Hungarian border town of Hegyeshalom, with Austrian railways citing safety concerns about overcrowding.
In line with EU rules, an Austrian police spokesman said only those who had not already requested asylum in Hungary would be allowed through - but the sheer pressure of numbers finally prevailed and, with few police officers or border officials reported in the vicinity, the train moved on, apparently with all passengers still on board.
The migrants' plight highlights the huge challenge facing the European Union, which has eliminated border controls between 26 states of the "Schengen area" but requires new asylum seekers to apply in the first country they enter - in this case Hungary.
Most of the migrants have no intention to stay in Hungary, even those who register there, but aim to reach richer western European countries.
Virtually all refugees and migrants who arrived in Vienna on Monday immediately switched to trains bound for Germany. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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