EUROPE-MIGRANTS/BELGRADE Migrants camp in Belgrade parks and stations

Record ID: 142708

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/BELGRADE Migrants camp in Belgrade parks and stations
  • Date: 25th August 2015
  • Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (AUGUST 25, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS SITTING IN PARK IN FRONT OF TENTS VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS SLEEPING ON GROUND MAN SLEEPING ON BENCH MAN IN WHEELCHAIR FAMILY SITTING ON GROUND/CHILDREN WALKING WOMAN CHECKING CHILD'S DIAPERS VARIOUS OF CHILD SLEEPING ON GROUND BELGRADE CITY MAP WITH ARABIC WRITING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIGRANT FROM SYRIA, MUHAMMAD, SAYING: "I came from Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, then I came here to Belgrade, and now I am looking for a hotel." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIGRANT FROM SYRIA, KHALID, SAYING: "I want to go to Germany, from Serbia and Hungary, Austria (to) Germany." MIGRANTS LYING ON GROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIGRANT FROM SYRIA, KHALID, SAYING: "I want good life and I want job in Germany, and I want to study in Germany only." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIGRANTS FROM SYRIA, BILAL, SAYING: "I sit in Istanbul three months after coming, after coming in Yunan (Greece) I sit two day, after two day I'm here in Serbia, in Belgrade." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIGRANT FROM PAKISTAN, MUHAMMAD, SAYING: "I heard about making the wall on the border, so there is German police, Austrian police and Hungarian police to save the border, so you know that the all people have to come in here, where we should be all people everywhere, where we should do, we left our countries you know, Pakistanis also, we have a problem there, so we left all our countries, so we will stay here. So what we should do, from here where we should go? To richest countries Germany, France in the Europe, so any other place we don't have." MAN TALKING TO WOMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIGRANT FROM PAKISTAN, MUHAMMAD, SAYING: "Now I try to go to Croatian border, you know about the Croatian border there's too much jungle, if we were alone something can happens... So you doesn't know what happens, so I don't know what happening with me." WOMAN WALKING HOLDING CHILD'S HAND
  • Embargoed: 9th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Serbia
  • Country: Serbia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEGV9ETPRKSFFZW8H2LHFIWQZG
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Parks near the main railway and bus stations in the Serbian capital turned into camping grounds on Tuesday (August 25) for hundreds of migrants on their journey towards the border with Hungary, from where they hope to reach richer EU countries.
    More than 5,000 migrants crossed into Serbia on Sunday (August 23), after an overwhelmed Macedonia gave up its attempts to stem the flow of mainly Syrian refugees by force.
    Macedonia provided buses and trains to carry them north after days of havoc caused by the closure of its southern frontier with Greece by security forces who used stun grenades and tear gas in an attempt to keep them out.
    For many migrants, the final destinations are Germany and other rich western European countries.
    "I want to go to Germany, from Serbia, Hungary, Austria (to) Germany," Khalid from Syria said.
    "I want good life, and I want job in Germany, and I want to study in Germany only."
    Bilal from Syria spent three months in Turkey before arriving in Belgrade.
    "I sit in Istanbul three months after coming, after coming in Yunan (Greece) I sit two day, after two day I'm here in Serbia, in Belgrade," he said.
    After passing through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia and Serbia, the migrants - mainly from Syria - see the border with Hungary as the last hurdle on their journey as it is part of EU's passport-free Schengen area, which, once crossed, could give them unimpeded access to western Europe.
    Some of the migrants have heard about a fence Hungary is building on its southern border with Serbia to stem the flow of migrants. They said they will either stay in Serbia, or try to cross into Croatia.
    "I heard about making the wall on the border, so there is German police, Austrian police and Hungarian police to save the border," Muhammad from Pakistan said.
    "Where should we go?" he asked.
    On Monday (August 24), police in Hungary registered 2,093 migrants, the highest daily tally so far this year.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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