Over 3,000 Refugees Wait Outside Train Station In Budapest

Outside the Keleti train station in Budapest, over 3,000 refugees wait to continue their journey.

For two days now, they have been stuck here after Hungarian authorities closed off the station, preventing all refugees from taking trains bound for Austria and Germany.

Many here are close to despair.

SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad, Syrian refugee:
"(Our) family and children have no more money to eat. To drink water, at least. To drink milk, at least. We have no more words to describe our situation. Tell me, what is the definition of being a refugee? What is it? A refugee is to be treated underground? To be sitting on the street ? Is this the message of the refugee?¨

This unprecedented influx has put huge pressure on the Hungarian government.

Refugees here are relaying on the goodwill of volunteers who are distributing food, clothes and basic medical kits. Conditions are basic.

The majority are fleeing wars in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. And the numbers show no sign of abating.

Hungary is completing a fence along its border with Serbia in an attempt to stem the flow of refugees into its country.

After three days of waiting, protests broke out at the station.

SOUNDBITE (English) Babar Baloch, UNHCR Spokesman, Hungary:
"There needs to be a solution for these people over here, they need to have proper care. And proper reception and this is why we are calling on Hungary to provide people a fair access to asylum and there should be proper reception for these people and also, it is a European responsibility. There needs to be a way that some of these refugees are relocated to other European countries on equal basis. No country should be left to deal with the refugee issue all by itself."

Over 140,000 people have sought asylum in Hungary so far this year, triple the number who arrived during the first eight months of 2014.

Here in Budapest, UNHCR is working with city authorities to open a transit centre which will provide temporary relief.

But unless a co-ordinated European solution is found, sights like these will become increasingly common in what has now become the largest migration into Europe since World War II.
STORY: HUNGARY / REFUGEES TRAIN STATION
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 02 SEPTEMBER 2015, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, refugees under blanket at Keleti train station entrance
2. Close up, little girl sleeping on the floor
3. Med shot, little girl sleeping on the floor among other refugees
4. Wide shot, pan left, people sleeping on the bare concrete tiles
5. Med shot, young man holding her sister sleeping in his arms
6. Wide shot, men sitting near "transit zone" sign
7. Pan left, refugees sitting in front of the train station and police cordon
8. Close up, mother holding her son
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad, Syrian refugee:
"(Our) family and children have no more money to eat. To drink water, at least. To drink milk, at least. We have no more words to describe our situation. Tell me, what is the definition of being a refugee? What is it? A refugee is to be treated underground? To be sitting on the street ? Is this the message of the refugee?¨
10. Med shot, little girl sitting between refugees waiting on the ground
11. Close up, boy playing with toy cars sitting on a blanket
12. Close up, "No feet washing in the sink" sign at a temporary water supply
13. Close up, boy wahsing his face at a temporary water supply
14. MS volunteer gives out water to waiting refugee's
15. Various shots, refugees crowd
16. Wide shot, refugees in the crowd
17. Med shot, European Union flag and Hungarian icon statue on train station
18. Med shot, refugee family huddled together on the floor
19. Wide shot, refugees sitting by a wall with graffiti
20. Wide shot, refugees chanting in protest against the Hungarian police
21. Close up, mother holding her daughter
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Babar Baloch, UNHCR Spokesman, Hungary:
"There needs to be a solution for these people over here, they need to have proper care. And proper reception and this is why we are calling on Hungary to provide people a fair access to asylum and there should be proper reception for these people and also, it is a European responsibility. There needs to be a way that some of these refugees are relocated to other European countries on equal basis. No country should be left to deal with the refugee issue all by itself."
23. Wide shot, tilt down, refugees camping outside train station
24. Med shot, refugee showing train tickets
25. Close up, boys lining up to collect free water
26. Wide shot, pan right, train station to refugee settlement
27. Wide shot, refugees sitting on the ground
28. Wide shot, tilt down, train station to chanting refugees
29. Close up, graffiti saying "Why we lost our home?"
DURATION: 02:50