At the Croatian border with Serbia, Reuters reporters saw hundreds of people, some of whom identified themselves as Iraqis, trek through fields near the official Sid border crossing.
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They demanded that Hungarian authorities let them enter the country from where to proceed north to wealthier countries of the EU’s borderless Schengen zone such as Austria and Germany. Sky News reported that it had witnessed a pregnant woman being stretchered from the scene and footage later emerged of distressed and injured children who had been in the line of fire when police used tear gas and water cannon.
The refusal of the right-wing government in Hungary to allow refugees safe passage through the country leaves the onus on Serbia, ill equipped to provide basic necessities for the hundreds of thousands of refugees who could be caught on its territory.
Croatian Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic said on Tuesday that 277 migrants had so far entered Croatia from Serbia following Hungary’s border closure. The country’s courts have started fast-track trials of arrested migrants.
A key crossing point in the Hungarian border town of Roszke was closed in the afternoon, prompting migrants to attempt to break through while repeatedly chanting “Open!”
Hungary has thrown up a 10ft high fence along the length of its border with Serbia.
Refugees responded to the hostilities by throwing stones and bottles at Hungarian authorities, according to the BBC.
Under the new laws, crossing the border illegally can result in a prison term of up to three years.
He said 150 people had entered from Serbia overnight.
About 80 people crossed early on Wednesday after they were first bused to the Serbian border town of Sid, following an all-night ride from the southern border with Macedonia.
The tide of migrants and refugees trying to reach western Europe has run into a breakwater.
“We want to pass to Germany, Austria, Hungary, Denmark”, the man said, his words aimed at the Hungarian Prime Minister.
Dozens of police and aid workers waited for the migrants across the border in Croatia, where they are being registered.
Some refugees are choosing to avoid Hungary and take a longer route to Germany through Croatia.
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The buses would normally run to Serbia’s border with European Union member Hungary, but Hungary’s right-wing government on Tuesday launched a crackdown that effectively sealed the frontier to migrants with a metal fence and strict new rules that saw asylum seekers rejected within a matter of hours.
