Germany eases asylum rules for Syrians thousands more pour in

(MENAFN- Arab News) BERLIN/Roszke Hungary: Germany said Tuesday it has eased asylum rules for Syrian refugees in a move expected to relieve pressure on southern European nations as thousands more migrants pour into the bloc seeking refuge.

Record numbers of people are streaming into EU member Hungary from Serbia posing a new headache for regional leaders at a summit this week set to be dominated by Europe's worst migrant crisis since WWII.
Almost 2100 people the highest ever daily total crossed the border near the Hungarian town of Roszke on Monday police said just days before Hungary completes a vast razor-wire barrier to keep out migrants.
As criticism mounts over the bloc's failure to find a response to tackle the crisis Germany said it has stopped returning Syrian asylum-seekers to their first EU port of entry becoming the first member state to effectively simplify the application process for those fleeing the war-torn nation.
'For the commission this constitutes a recognition of the fact that we cannot leave the member states at the external borders alone in dealing with a large number of asylum seekers seeking refuge in Europe' said Natasha Bertaud spokeswoman for the EU Commission.
Under the so-called Dublin rules the first EU country that an asylum-seeker arrives in is required to process the claimant's application.
In practice this means that countries on the EU's borders like Greece or Italy are overwhelmed with applications as thousands arrive by sea on their shores.
Hungary another EU country with external borders is rushing to build a vast razor-wire barrier to keep out migrants fearing it will be overwhelmed by asylum requests.
The European Commission on Tuesday said it stood ready to provide Hungary with emergency EU facilities as Budapest struggles to cope with the record numbers arriving.
Almost 2100 people the highest ever daily total crossed into Hungary on Monday near the town of Roszke one of the few sections of the border not yet sealed off by the barrier.
They were among 7000 refugees whose hazardous journey to the European Union was temporarily blocked last week when Macedonia declared a state of emergency and shut its borders for three days to halt the huge influx of people mostly fleeing war in Syria.
Authorities reopened the crossing after chaotic scenes involving police lobbing stun grenades at migrants trying to break through the border.
'We were stopped in Macedonia for two days the riots were terrible police used guns and tear gas I saw an old woman beaten her money and papers taken' said a 29-year-old IT engineer from Mosul in Iraq who said he had left his home to escape the Islamic State group. He asked not to be named. They were part of around 7000 refugees whose hazardous journey to the European Union had been temporarily blocked last week when Macedonia declared a state of emergency and shut its borders for three days to halt the huge influx of people mostly fleeing war in Syria.
Authorities reopened the crossing after chaotic scenes involving police lobbing stun greandes at the migrants trying to break through the border.