Thousands of Migrants Pour Into Austria, Germany After Hungary Trek

European foreign ministers discussing how to respond to crisis.

Thousands of migrants poured into Austria and Germany on Saturday, as escalating tensions in Hungary forced the two countries to open their borders to one of the largest waves of people since World War II.

Austrian officials said about 6,500 people had crossed over its border from neighboring Hungary, while German officials said they expect as many as 7,000 migrants to arrive in the country this weekend.

The arrival of the migrants, many from war-torn countries such as Syria who say they want to seek refuge in Western Europe, marked a victory for the bedraggled crowds after weeks or months on the road and complaints of maltreatment in Hungary.

On Friday, Hungary appeared on the verge of chaos, with flash points across the country. But it calmed as thousands of migrants simply started marching peacefully toward the Austrian border from multiple locations. Their surprisingly coordinated mobilization prompted the leaders of Austria and Germany to say they would host the migrants in light of the crisis engulfing Hungary, which then transported migrants to the border by bus.

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