(BBC, video, Sept 1, 2015) “Hundreds of migrants thought to be from Syria have arrived by rail at German stations after being held for several hours at the Hungarian border. The authorities in Budapest, who are struggling to cope with the influx of migrants, allowed them to board trains heading into western Europe…”
“BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungarian authorities are stopping all trains from leaving Budapest’s main train terminal in an effort to prevent migrants from using it to leave for Austria and Germany. An announcement over the station’s loudspeakers Tuesday said the measure would be in effect for an undetermined length of time.
Scuffles broke out earlier in the morning among some of the hundreds of migrants as they pushed toward metal gates at the platform where a train was scheduled to leave for Vienna and Munich, and were blocked by police.
Several say they spent hundreds of euros for tickets after police told them they would be allowed free passage. Police in Vienna say 3,650 migrants arrived from Hungary Monday at the city’s Westbahnhof station. They say most continued on toward Germany.
On Monday, French and German leaders reminded other European countries of their shared responsibility toward refugees….”
“A number of migrants arriving in Turkey hoping to reach Europe are purchasing fake Syrian passports in order to claim asylum at the end of their journey, the head of the European border management agency Frontex told French radio today.
“There is a traffic of Syrian passports,” Fabrice Leggeri told Europe 1, “because it’s extremely lucrative for smugglers.” Syrian citizens are legally entitled to refugee status in any European country because of the civil war in their country.
Those using fake passports, Leggeri said, are mainly from North Africa or the Middle East, migrating for economic reasons. But he admitted that authorities do not have a complete picture of those migrating to Europe.
“We have an idea of nationalities but we don’t have full profiles,” Leggeri said. Asked by the radio host whether terrorists could be reaching Europe, Leggeri said “it is not impossible but we are extremely vigilant.”
Overall, the number of illegal crossings at European borders since January has gone up 175 percent, according to Frontex, reaching an estimate number of 340,000 individuals arriving in the European Union.
The number only reflects people who are being registered, Leggeri said, adding that not all migrants are being registered because of the volume. About 88,200 of those making their way to the E.U. are Syrians, according to the latest International Organization for Migration figures, which is more than the next four countries of origin put together…”
Five men have been arrested as they attempted to cross the Bulgarian-Macedonian border with decapitation videos and Islamic State propaganda on their phones. The terrorist suspects had been posing as refugees.
Bulgarian authorities near the Gyueshevo border checkpoint detained the five men, aged between 20 and 24, late on Wednesday, Bulgarian broadcaster NOVA TV reported. The men were stopped by a border guard, who they attempted to bribe with a “wad of dollars.”
However, they were searched and Islamic State propaganda, specific Jihadists prayers and decapitation videos were found on their phones.
In a move that suggests how seriously authorities are taking the case, the Bulgarian State Agency for National Security (DANS) has now taken control of the investigation under the supervision of the regional prosecutor’s office in Kyustendil.
The men chose to cross in a wooded area, local media have reported, and took a car from an accomplice who had crossed legally from Macedonia with the vehicle.