Serbia says it 'cannot handle' migrants rejected by Hungary
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 16 September 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Serbia says it 'cannot handle' migrants rejected by Hungary, 16 September 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/561d046d15.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Last updated (GMT/UTC): 16.09.2015 13:35
Serbia said it is unable to handle thousands of migrants gathered on its sealed border with Hungary and called on the European Union to solve the migrant crisis.
Hungary has said that migrants whose asylum applications it rejects will be returned to Serbia.
Budapest September 15 sealed its southern border with Serbia, blocking a gap in a razor-wire barrier where many of the migrants had passed through.
"The idea of returning all migrants to Serbia, with others flowing in from Greece and Macedonia, is unacceptable, because we would then become the center of arrivals," Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said after talks with Czech counterpart Lubomir Zaoralek in Prague.
"We would like to be part of the solution to the problem, but this can't be to our detriment," he said. "Serbia cannot handle this."
"We have seen 140,000 migrants cross our country and only 550 have applied for asylum in Serbia. All the others would like to continue to western Europe," he said.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
