Vienna, September 21 (RHC)-- At least 7,000 more migrants have arrived in Austria from Hungary via Croatia as the refugee crisis in the European Union continues. The refugees entered Austria Sunday and were being processed at the town of Nickelsdorf on the Hungarian border, according to authorities.
Long lines could be seen in the small border town as arrivals were waiting for buses, with others hoping for taxis to take them to the capital Vienna. Just a day earlier, Austria received 13,000 asylum-seekers. The higher-than-normal figures come after Hungary closed its border crossing with Serbia on Tuesday sparking a surge of migrants into neighboring Croatia, then to Austria.
However, Hungary was forced to open its borders to refugees after international criticism mainly coming from the EU over its anti-refugee policies. Refugees were trying to avoid Hungary and were heading to more refugee-friendly countries in Europe, such as Austria.
The government in Budapest has built a razor-wire barrier along much of its border with Croatia, after sealing off its frontier with Serbia in a bid to keep refugees out. Several other EU countries were following suit as the biggest influx of refugees to Europe since World War II continues to take its toll on member states.
This has triggered divisions against EU states as to how to equally distribute the refugees across the continent. Earlier on Sunday, French President Francois Hollande made it clear that no EU country should be exempt from taking in people with the right to asylum.