- Title: Belgrade refugees make a break for the Hungarian border
- Date: 4th October 2016
- Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (OCTOBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) MIGRANTS WALKING BEHIND POLICE CARS MIGRANTS WALKING AND CHANTING: "OPEN BORDER, OPEN BORDER" MIGRANTS WALKING CARRYING BANNER READING (English): 'I AM FROM AFGHANISTAN AND I WANT PEACE, AND WANT PEACE FROM HUNGRY GOVERNMENT, SO PLEASE OPEN THE BORDER." VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFGHAN MIGRANT, BERAT, SAYING: "We know it (the border) is closed, but this is last option for us. we are (here), we go, ready to make (it), there is no option." (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFGHAN MIGRANT, KABIR, SAYING: "We will go to the border, and we will sit there, and we will not eat, drink... whatever until they open the border." MIGRANTS TAKING A BREAK MIGRANTS SITTING ON THE GROUND CLOSE UP OF FOOT MIGRANT SITTING ON THE GROUND AND HOLDING BANNER READING (English): "NOT FOOD, NOT WATER" MIGRANTS SITTING ON THE GROUND MIGRANT HOLDING BANNER READING (English): 'WE ARE REFUGEES, REQUEST YOU TO OPEN THE BORDER, PLEASE." (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFGHAN MIGRANT, SEJFULI, SAYING: "My plan is that my family is in Germany, I want to go there, and to be with them, and I just want to start my education there, I left my education in Afghanistan, so there was so conditions bad." MIGRANTS STANDING UP / STARTING MARCH AGAIN VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WALKING VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS WALKING CLOSE OF FEET ON ROAD MIGRANTS MARCHING AND CHANTING: "OPEN THE BORDER, OPEN THE BORDER" VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS MARCHING
- Embargoed: 19th October 2016 13:03
- Keywords: migrant crisis Serbia Hungary referendum EU quotas influx
- Location: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- City: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- Country: Serbia
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00152LASLJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Several hundred refugees set off from the Serbian capital Belgrade on Tuesday (October 4) morning headed for the Hungarian border, holding handwritten banners and chanting demands for the border to be opened.
The crowd walked north along the city's Sava river, stopping occasionally to negotiate with police. All of them appeared to be men and boys from around 15 years old and up.
'I am from Afghanistan and I want peace, and want peace from Hungry government, so please open the border," read one banner.
They are just some of around 7,000 migrants fleeing poverty and war who are trapped in Serbia, prevented from continuing further into Europe by fences now running along the country's Hungarian border.
"We know it (the border) is closed, but this is last option for us, we are (here), we go, ready to make (it), there is no option," Berat, from Afghanistan, told Reuters as the march started.
Many migrants in Belgrade, most of whom live in makeshift camps by the city's central rail station, had thought Hungary's referendum last weekend on migrant quotas meant the border would be opened.
In fact, Hungary voted on whether to accept European Union quotas for taking in refugees, and almost all of those who went to the polls voted against the quotas. However, less than half the electorate voted, rendering the results of the referendum invalid.
Kabir, also from Afghanistan, said they would start a hunger strike at the border until they were allowed to cross.
"We will go to the border, and we will sit there, and we will not eat, drink... whatever until they open the border," he said.
"My plan is that my family is in Germany, I want to go there, and to be with them, and I just want to start my education there, I left my education in Afghanistan, so there was so conditions bad." Sejfuli added.
A large group of refugees who left Belgrade's camps earlier this year got as far as the northern city of Novi Sad, but from there were taken to reception centres on the Serbian side of the border. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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