Austria Warns That It Will Close Its Borders As Around 12,000 Refugees Enter In Just Two Days
On Sunday, Austria has announced its plan to close its borders once again to refugees due to thousands of people travelling across the country as they head to Germany.
In his sermon on Sunday at St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis has called on people in Europe to open up their doors to refugees and migrant families despite speculations of politicians that the arrival of large numbers of Muslims may pose a threat to the European Christianity, notes The Guardian on Sunday.
"We have war in Syria. We have superterrorists in Syria," said Yaman, a refugee boarding a train to the border of Austria. "We can't live there, not until the war is finished."
In one weekend, over 10,000 refugees have arrived at Munich, worrying the city's mayor on how to make their visitors feel sheltered and secured instead of worrying about how Germany could provide for these people.
"Of course there are some limits responding given the space we have in Munich but that is not the question I am asking myself," says Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter. "Every day I am asking myself how can we accommodate these people, these refugees, how can we give them a feeling that they are safe here in Munich, here in Germany. I am not really thinking about how many people can we afford and can we take here in Munich. That is not the question."
On the other hand, Austria's Chancellor Werner Faymann says that the country will close its borders soon to migrants without papers following a deep conversation with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and a phone call with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
"We have always said this is an emergency situation in which we must act quickly and humanely," says Faymann. "Now we have to move step by step away from emergency measures toward normality in conformity with the law and dignity."
Time reported on Sunday that closing the borders of Austria will result to a congestion of refugees in Hungary and Prime Minister Orbán, who has encouraged Austria to close its borders, has been firm on his decision that refugees, especially Muslims, are not welcome in the country.
Germany has been the number one destination for refugees, with over 100,000 people recorded to have migrated in the country and expecting 800,000 more within the year.
