Police stop migrants at Serbia border with tear gas

Hungarian police stopped a crowd of migrants that broke the gate at a crossing point of the Röszke-Horgos station on the border between Hungary and Serbia on Wednesday. The law inforcement units used tear gas and water cannons against the crowd who - according to the Hungarian news agency MTI - threw stones, bottles, and burning torches at the officers.

The migrants who seemed to be frustrated by the fact that they are not allowed to go thothrough Hungary unchecked set fire to rubber tyres, after which the area was covered in thick, black smoke.

They also climbed on the roofs of small buildings and continued to throw objects at the police. The police put into action a significant number of officers, including members of the counter-terrorism force. Police and army helicopters were patrolling the area.

MTI’s correspondent saw thousands of migrants, including women and children, setting up a camp along the road to the crossing point.

Meanwhile, the Serbian government’s social affairs minister firmly protested against the Hungarian police’s using water-cannons against the migrants. Aleksandar Vulin insisted that the water-cannon impacted Serbian territory. He also voiced sympathy with the migrants’ disappointment, which he associated with Hungary’s closing of the border.

In the meantime, groups of migrants including women and children left Horgos and set off in the direction of Croatia.