Thousands of migrants find their way into Austria

BERLIN – Thousands of exhausted refugees and migrants made their way Saturday into Austria, the final stop before their coveted destination of Germany, after navigating a series of debilitating detours along the increasingly ragged frontiers of the European Union.

Large backlogs of asylum-seekers remained stranded in the gateway states of Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary.

Hungary has taken the hardest line against migrants and refugees seeking to transit its territory in search of wealthier – and friendlier – havens to the north and west.

Police in Slovenia, which has publicly declared its unwillingness to become part of the pathway leading from southeastern Europe toward Germany and the Scandinavian countries, said Saturday that at least 1,500 people had arrived, with hundreds more waiting on the other side of its frontier with Croatia.

Europe is weathering its biggest migration crisis since World War II. Among the crush of humanity that has moved north and west across the continent in recent weeks, racing the clock against winter, the largest share are from Syria and Afghanistan, with a smorgasbord of other nationalities and ethnic groups represented as well.

Media reports in Slovenia said hundreds of migrants and refugees set out for Austria on foot Saturday after being allowed to pass. But the bottlenecks that have developed on the frontiers of Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia have led to dire humanitarian conditions, with people sleeping in chilly open fields and pleading for passage.

More than 20,000 people were reported to have entered Croatia since Wednesday, after Hungary’s razor-wire border fence and defensive measures such as tear gas sent multitudes surging to alternate routes.

Austria, while far better equipped than its poor neighbors to the southeast to feed and shelter those arriving, says it too is struggling. About 7,000 arrivals were reported in Austria between midnight and midday Saturday, with more on the way.

Germany and Austria reinstated border checks after allowing unfettered entry for a little over a week. Even wealthy Germany announced that it was overwhelmed by the numbers of those arriving – more than 65,000 this month.

Hungary has been unapologetic about its unyielding opposition to migrants and refugees passing through, even though virtually none of them want to stay. “We have to defend the country,” right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Saturday in a televised speech.

Germany, which has taken in by far the largest share of new arrivals, has pushed other European Union members to accept more refugees and migrants, but has made little headway. European officials also are seeking to divert emergency funds to Syria’s neighbors, including Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, which are on the front lines as millions of Syrians have fled a war now in its fifth year.

Worsening weather and choppy seas continued to cause the deaths of many of those making the short but risky journey from Turkey to Greece’s eastern islands to begin the northward trek. A 5-year-old girl pulled unconscious from the water after a vessel capsized died in a hospital, Greek authorities said Saturday.