Refugees Targeted by Tear Gas from Hungarian Police

On Wednesday evening, Hungarian riot police used tear gas and water cannons at the border with Serbia to control refugees who had cut through barbed wire and attempted to enter the country. Earlier on Tuesday, the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency in its border areas with Serbia by closing the main route for refugees entering the country. Hungary also warned that individuals attempting to cross the border illegally would be imprisoned. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that refugees received medical assistance from Serbia after encountering the Hungarian police's response, with most of the aid related to injuries from tear gas. According to CNN, many of these refugees were chanting 'open the doors' directed at Hungarian government officials. The refugees stated that no one wants to stay in Hungary and they intend to seek asylum in Germany, Sweden, and other European Union countries. The Guardian reports that as clashes continue at the Hungary-Serbia border, many refugees are moving towards the Croatia-Serbia border. The presence of minefields left over from the 1990s war between Serbia and Croatia poses a danger to these refugees. The movement of migrants towards Croatia began after Hungary closed the main route for refugees into the European Union at midnight on Tuesday with the implementation of new laws. Hungary has erected barbed wire three and a half meters high along its border with Serbia and warned that anyone attempting to cross these barriers will be arrested.