AFP, Röszke :Some 400-500 migrants on Wednesday broke through police lines in Hungary near the main crossing point from Serbia, AFP reporters at the scene said.The break-out took place near the flashpoint town of Roszke where migrants have to wait at a collection point before being taken to a nearby centre for registration.Shouting “No camp!” they scattered in all directions, some heading for a nearby motorway leading to Budapest which police then closed.It was the latest in a series of tense confrontations between police and desperate migrants and refugees as the Hungarian authorities struggle to cope with thousands of new arrivals every day.In the 24 hours to midnight (2200 GMT), 2,770 people were intercepted, police said.At Roszke, there were 2,529 including 455 children and mostly Syrians, Afghanis and Pakistanis.On Tuesday, there was a series of similar breakouts in the same area involving several hundred people, with police using pepper spray on one occasion to move a group off a main road.Hungary’s southern border with Serbia has become a major entry point into the European Union for migrants and refugees fleeing war and misery in the Middle East and Asia.More than 165,000 migrants have crossed into Hungary so far this year.Most seek to travel on to Germany via Austria.Hungary recently completed a razor-wire barrier along its 175-kilometre (110-mile) frontier with Serbia, but it has failed to stop large numbers of people getting through.It is currently building an additional four-metre (13-foot) fence despite widespread criticism, with France’s foreign minister saying the barrier does “not respect European values”.Meanwhile, Denmark has sent back a first group of refugees who arrived from Germany, Danish police said Tuesday, with others expected to follow.”These are people who do not want to seek asylum (in Denmark) and are therefore here illegally. They have been deported and barred from re-entering the country for two years,” police in southern Denmark said in a statement.”This first group was a score of people. More will follow after their cases are processed,” the statement said, adding that they were sent back by bus.More than 800 refugees have arrived in Denmark since Sunday, according to Danish officials.Very few of those have applied for asylum, the Danish immigration service said.Most of those who arrive in Denmark are passing through en route to Sweden, which is known for its more generous asylum policies.While Sweden has become a top EU destination for refugees by issuing permanent residency to all Syrian asylum seekers, Denmark has sought to reduce the influx by issuing temporary residence permits, delaying family reunifications and slashing benefits for newly arrived immigrants.Refugees face frosty reception in Europe’s ex-Communist east.
