Migrants bused back to asylum centres from Serbia border

Serbian authorities early on Friday put on buses several hundred migrants who have been camped at the border with Hungary and returned them to asylum centres further inside the country.

The migrants came to the border on Thursday, carrying banners and chanting “open borders!” They spent hours sitting or lying on the ground in cold and windy weather at the Kelebija border crossing, demanding access to the European Union country.

Serbian state TV said the group was transferred back to asylum centres early on Friday and the border crossing reopened soon after.

The migrants are among several thousand who remain stuck in Serbia as they seek to move toward Western Europe through neighbouring EU countries Hungary or Croatia.

Hungary has put up wire fences at the border with Serbia to prevent migrant entry. The country recently has reported a spike in attempts by migrants to cross the border illegally.