Germany Hosts Migrants Looking for Refugee from War

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• Germany is expecting 800,000 refugees this year- the most of any country in Europe

The 28-nation European Union is divided over how to deal with the influx, with Germany and Austria stressing the right to asylum for war refugees and Hungary in particular arguing that most are economic migrants. Hungary and other eastern nations reject proposed quotas to spread the migrants around the EU.

Thousands of migrants were expected to board trains for Austria and Germany on the weekend, attempting to exit Hungary before its security fence is completed in a few days time.

Germany’s vice chancellor is renewing calls for a European solution to the refugee crisis, while Canada has created a $100 million Syrian relief fund.

Some 450,000 refugees have arrived in Germany this year, and the pace picked up in the past week. The country is expecting at least 800,000 this year - the most in Europe.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says allowing in the tens of thousands of refugees who had piled up in Hungary was the right decision, fending off criticism from a conservative ally.

Merkel said Saturday “we made a decision last week in an emergency situation.” She added: “I am convinced that it was right,” the dpa news agency reported.

Germany’s ministry of defence says about 4,000 soldiers are on standby to help manage the arrival of thousands of refugees this weekend.

A senior German official says people are leaving the region around Syria at a “breathtaking” rate, but is indicating it isn’t clear whether the influx to Germany will reach 40,000 over the next two days.

Protests in Poland

Thousands of Poles gathered in the rain Saturday at two different spots in Warsaw for opposing rallies: one by radical right-wingers against hosting the refugees and the other in support of helping those in need.

The protest rally soon transformed into a march, with protesters waving national white-and-red flags and chanting “Today refugees, tomorrow terrorists!” and “Poland, free of Islam!” Police in riot gear warily watched out for possible violence.

The protests came despite a call from Pope Francis urging Catholics to take in refugees.

The spokesman for Caritas, a Catholic charity, voiced resistance to taking in refugees. Pawel Keska told The Associated Press that “it is impossible to follow Francis’ gesture in Poland now, because we have no Syrian refugees.”

Such criticism of the pope may be surprising in one of the most Catholic nations in Europe, but it reflects the general mood in a country with very little ethnic diversity. Many people also argue that the former communist country, despite its recent economic growth, is still far too poor to afford to take in refugees.

The European Union wants Poland to accept 12,000 refugees. Warsaw has agreed to receive 2,000 within two years and says it has capacity for more provided they are refugees, not economic migrants.

Refugee numbers released

A UN official on Saturday said one million more people are expected to be displaced within Syria by the end of the year.

The conflict which has killed 250,000 people since 2011 has forced half of all Syrians from their homes, creating 4 million refugees and displacing some 7.6 million more within the country.