Migrants Protest in Serbia Over Closed EU Border

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چهارشنبه 14 میزان 1395 ساعت 08:05 نوشته شده توسط TOLOnews.com

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Hundreds of migrants set off on foot on Tuesday toward Serbia's border with Hungary to protest its closure for most people trying to reach the European Union.

There are more than 6,000 migrants including Afghans stuck in Serbia after Hungary this summer introduced strict limits to their crossing into the EU-member country and reinforced its razor-wire fence with heavy border patrols.

The so-called Balkan migrant route, last year used by nearly 1 million people fleeing wars and poverty, formally closed in March, forcing migrants to use alternative routes and pay people smugglers to get them across.

Police intervened on Tuesday after protesters clashed with other groups of migrants who were against the demonstration. Some 150 of them later marched toward the Hungarian border about 200 kilometers north of the Serbian capital.

They chanted "Open Hungary Borders" and carried banners saying "we don't need food, water or nothing, we want you to open the borders." There were no reported injuries during the scuffles.

On Sunday, Hungarians voted overwhelmingly to reject the EU's redistribution scheme for refugees. As The Christian Science Monitor reported, the vote comes amid the rise of right-wing populists, who are peddling an anti-EU message that has gained a deeper foothold during the refugee crisis.