The Latest: EU targets $1.1 billion fund for Syrian refugees
BRUSSELS (AP) — The latest developments as European governments struggle to cope with the huge number of people moving across Europe. All times local:
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10:35 a.m.
Migrants walk towards Hungary after arriving by train in Botovo, Croatia, on the Hungarian border, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015. At a contentious meeting, European Union ministers agreed Tuesday to relocate 120,000 refugees among the bloc to ease the strains on front-line nations like Greece and Italy, which are being overwhelmed by the continent's ballooning migrant crisis. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
The European Union hopes to provide more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in aid to Syrian refugees and release another 1 billion euros for Turkey, the host for almost 2 million people who have fled the conflict.
The EU's executive Commission plans to allocate more than 300 million euros to top up its "trust fund" for Syrian refugees.
Johannes Hahn, the commissioner responsible for ties with the EU's neighbors, said Wednesday that "this is a signal and hopefully will stimulate our member states to do the same," and push the total to 1 billion euros.
He also says the Commission is working with Turkey to free up 1 billion euros earmarked for that country's EU membership process as a short-term measure to help deal with the refugee influx.
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10:10 a.m.
Austrian police say that about 2,500 migrants and refugees have arrived at the main border point between Austria and Hungary, a day after 5,000 crossed into Austria.
Police spokesman Helmut Marban says the new arrivals were bused to the Hungarian side of the Nickelsdorf crossing point early Wednesday. From there they are walking into Austria.
