Refugees in Serbia attempt entry into Hungary
Hundreds of refugees who have been stranded in Serbia have decided to try an entry into neighboring Hungary in the hope that they could reach the European Union despite strict border controls.
Some 300 people began to march from Belgrade toward Zemun, a northwestern suburb of the capital, as police escorted them at the beginning of their 200-kilometer journey toward the north.
The march began after refugees attended a protest in downtown Belgrade against a bid by EU member Hungary to keep all refugees out.
They carried banners which read, "We don't need water and food, we urge you to open the borders." The refugees said they would attempt to break through the border despite increasing controls. A similar attempt in July ended in failure.
Some 5,500 refugees are estimated to be stuck in Serbia, a country which sits on the so-called Balkan route used by many refugees over the past year to cross into the EU. Belgrade has announced that it would have no option but to close its borders to refugees as countries such as Hungary refuse to allow asylum seekers to continue their onward journey to Western Europe.
The number of refugees in Serbia began to soar after Hungary introduced tough new measures in July to stop refuges crossing the border.
The protest and march in Belgrade came two days after a Hungarian referendum to decide whether the country should accept EU refugee quota plan was declared void due to low turnout.
Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has announced plans for the official closure of the borders as a few hundred still dare crossing into the country every day, often with the help of traffickers, and have no clear prospect of arriving in Hungary.
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