Thousands march in pro-refugee rallies across Europe

Tens of thousands of Europeans rallied on Saturday urging solidarity with the huge numbers of refugees entering the continent, as Hungary’s populist premier Viktor Orban said leaders were “in a dream world” about the dangers posed by the influx.

In London, one of dozens of events planned across Europe, tens of thousands of people marched brandishing placards reading ‘Open the Borders’, an AFP journalist said, while in Copenhagen some 30,000 took to the streets, according to police. Other demonstrations were planned in Germany, Spain, France and elsewhere.

But highlighting how the arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants is dividing the EU, several counter-demonstrations were also scheduled in eastern members of the bloc.

“It’s time to speak out against the deadly borders that have been enacted in our name. People all over Europe are organising resistance and solidarity in their towns and cities,” organisers of the ‘#EuropeSaysWelcome’ initiative said on social media. “We want to let all the refugees know: You are welcome!”

At the London protest, a boy dressed as Paddington Bear had a sign saying: “Paddington Bear Was A Refugee.” A little girl held up a drawing of two hands clasped together with the words: “Help Syria, I’ll be your friend.”

‘Unscrupulous’ traffickers

The International Organization for Migration said on Friday that more than 4,30,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe this year, with 2,748 dying or going missing in packed and unseaworthy boats operated by often unscrupulous human traffickers.

The influx has exposed deep rifts with the European Union, with “frontline” states Italy, Greece and Hungary struggling to cope and European Commission proposals for sharing 160,000 of the new arrivals in a quota scheme facing resistance among eastern members.

Germany has absorbed the lion’s share so far, taking in 4,50,000 people with the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel — hailed as a heroine by many migrants but under fire at home, even from allies — relaxing asylum rules for Syrians.

Thousands more were meanwhile travelling up from Greece through the Balkans. According to one U.N. official, a record 7,600 entered Macedonia overnight Thursday to Friday, bound for Serbia and then Hungary.

New figures on Saturday showed that 3,023 people entered Hungary on Friday, all seeking to travel — via Austria, despite it having suspended train services to Hungary — to countries in western Europe, particularly Germany and Sweden.

Saudi Arabia responds

Saudi Arabia on Friday responded to “false and misleading” reports about its response to the Syrian refugee crisis, saying it has given residency to 1,00,000 people from the war-ravaged state.

The Kingdom’s statement followed a similar defence issued on Wednesday by the United Arab Emirates, after questions started to be asked about how wealthy Arab states have reacted to the outflow of more than four million Syrians.