Hungary refugee crisis descends into violence, chaos

Violence broke out at the Röszke/Horgos border crossing between Hungary and Serbia today, after several hundred refugees attempted to break through the gate and border fence erected by Hungarian authorities. Hungary’s police force responded with tear gas and water cannons, injuring dozens of refugees who were treated by Serbian paramedics arriving to the border. Hungarian media reported that two children were  thrown over the fence into Hungary by adults, and their injuries are being treated on the Hungarian side. According to Amnesty International, three children were injured in the outburst of violence, but none are in life threatening condition. According to Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltán Kovács, 20 police officers were wounded after refugees began throwing rocks, water bottles and other projectiles at the authorities. György Bakondi, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s security adviser, told journalists that Hungarian police at the border were apparently given an “ultimatum” by a group of refugees, indicating that Hungary had one hour to open the border crossing to the refugees, or else they would resort to violence, in protest.

Al Jazeera television ran disturbing images earlier today of bloodied, badly injured refugees at Röszke/Horgos, as the violence continued for hours.

Al Jazeera coverage of the violence in Röszke.

Al Jazeera coverage of the violence in Röszke.

“Hungarian police are defending the Hungarian border with their own bodies against the armed, violent migrants, so that they are unable to enter Hungary unchecked,” said Mr. Kovács. “Today it has become clear that these people will not shy away from violence,” he added.

Refugees throw rocks, water bottles at Hungarian police, who respond with tear gas at the Röszke/Horgos border crossing. Photo: Tamás Sóki.

Refugees throw rocks, water bottles at Hungarian police, who respond with tear gas at the Röszke/Horgos border crossing. Photo: Tamás Sóki.

Following the outbreak of violence on the border, Hungary’s Interior Minister, Sándor Pintér, has ordered that the Röszke/Horgos border crossing be closed to all traffic for 30 days. According to reporter Tamás Szilli of the liberal Index news site, three fires were set on the Serbian side of the border by the refugees, enveloping the Röszke/Horgos crossing in a cloud of smoke. Mr. Szilli was the only Hungarian journalist who remained on the scene on the Serbian side of the fence, after Hungarian police “yanked his colleague back into Hungary,” according to his eyewitness report.

Hungarian riot police guard the Röszke border crossing, with a refugee shouting at them from the Serbian side. Photo: Sándor Újvári.

Hungarian riot police guard the Röszke border crossing, with a refugee shouting at them from the Serbian side. Photo: Sándor Újvári.

Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, complained earlier today that Serbian police were not assisting Hungarian authorities in re-establishing calm at the Röszke/Horgos crossing. “Serbian authorities must act without delay against the aggressive immigrants,” declared Mr. Szijjártó, to which Serbia’s foreign minister said that he has no authority to order the police to act, but “forwarded” the message to Serbia’s interior minister. Serbia, however, is furious that Hungarian police threw tear gas canisters across the border onto Serbian territory and it was quite clear during the day that Serbian police were not going out of their way to assist the Hungarians in restoring order.

Meanwhile, Slovenia has joined Austria and Slovakia in suspending the Schengen Zone on the border with Hungary. Anyone passing the Hungarian border into Slovenia will now have to stop and show government issued photo ID.

Serbia is furious that Hungarian authorities have thrown tear gas canisters and aimed water canons into Serbian territory. Photo: Tamás Sóki.

Serbia is furious that Hungarian authorities have thrown tear gas canisters and aimed water canons into Serbian territory. Photo: Tamás Sóki.

Meanwhile, Hungary’s public broadcaster is providing live updates on what it calls “a siege at the border.”

Hungary, however, has not only badly strained its relationship with Serbia, but also with Romania, where Prime Minister Victor Ponta protested Hungarian plans announced yesterday to expand the border fence to along part of the international border between Hungary and Romania.

“Barbed wire, aggressive laws, prison and brutality will not resolve problems. I would be horrified to think about what to do if Hungarian troops begin to shoot or kill children and women.” said Mr. Ponta of Hungary’s approach.

Hungarian Foreign Affairs responded swiftly.

“Victor Ponta has lost all self-control, his mindless words have insulted all of Hungary,” declared Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who suggested that the Romanian prime minister war trying to deter attention from his own domestic challenges.

But the risk of sever overreaction from Hungarian police is a real one. According to the Magyar Nemzet newspaper, some police are on duty for up to 27 hours without any chance to sleep or rest, while many others have nowhere else to nap than in corn fields next to the border.  According to the report, many police officers do not have access to potable water, and they are relying on NGOs and some of the same activists who have been helping the refugees to bring them drinking water as well.

It is not difficult to see that this is a recipe for disaster, and far worse violence than we have seen today.

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