Tens of thousands of people have
taken part in a "day of action" in several European cities - and in
Australia - in support of refugees and migrants.
There have also been counter-demonstrations in some countries.
Europe
is struggling to cope with an enormous influx of people, mostly from
Syria, who are fleeing violence and poverty in their own countries.
More than 9,000 migrants arrived in Munich on Saturday. Germany expects 40,000 to arrive over the weekend.
Chancellor Angela Merkel defended the decision to let in large numbers of refugees, saying she was "convinced it was right".
However, she faces growing criticism from her political allies, including the premier of the state of Bavaria, who told Der Spiegel magazine (in German) the situation would soon be beyond control.
Around 4,000 troops are being deployed in Germany for logistical support.
Support and opposition
In
London, tens of thousands of people, some carrying placards that read
"Open the Borders" and "Refugees In" marched towards the prime
ministerial residence in Downing Street.
There were similar demonstrations in other UK cities.
The
British government has said it will take up to 20,000 refugees over
five years, but from camps in the Middle East rather than people
arriving in Europe. Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Sweden is where many refugees say they want to seek asylum
In the Swedish capital Stockholm, about 1,000 people appealed for more generous support for refugees.
"Sweden
can do much more, not only because it has the capacity to do so, but
also because it, along with the European Union, bears some
responsibility for the conflict in Syria," said demonstrator Joakim, 38,
who took part with his two children.
An estimated 30,000 people
rallied gathered outside parliament in the Danish capital Copenhagen,
chanting "Say it loud and say it clear, refugees are welcome here". Image copyrightEPAImage caption
In the Dutch city of The Hague, people joined a silent rally
Mohammed Harra, who was born in Morocco, told
Denmark's Politiken newspaper: "I am here to support refugees who have
been driven out of their houses because of what has happened in Syria,
with the bombings and the killings."
In other events:
in Hamburg, a demonstration by the
far-right was banned earlier this week but the main railway station was
closed on Saturday after left-wing demonstrators attacked a train
believed to be carrying neo-Nazis
a counter-rally took place in the city centre
other rallies were held in France, Austria, the Netherlands and Australia
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
Thousands turned out in Sydney in support of refugees
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Pro-refugee marchers rallied at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin
Image copyrightEPAImage caption
Radical right-wingers joined the anti-migrant march in Poland
Rallies against welcoming more refugees and migrants took place in some eastern European countries.
About
5,000 people chanting anti-Islamic slogans marched in the Polish
capital Warsaw, while a nearby counter-demonstration drew about 1,000
people.
In Prague, about 800 protesters carried banners reading "I
do not want refugees and Islam in Czech Republic" and "Protect the
borders".
Elsewhere in the city, a smaller counter-demonstration in support of refugees attracted about 200 people, witnesses said.
Another anti-migrant rally attended by about 1,500 people took place in the Slovak capital Bratislava. Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Protesters at an anti-refugee rally in Bratislava made their feelings clear
Tens of thousands of mainly Syrian migrants have
been making their way from Turkey, through the Balkans and Hungary to
reach Austria, Germany and Sweden.
Migrants have continued to arrive in Macedonia from Greece. More buses were reported to be heading towards the Hungarian border.
On the scene: James Reynolds, BBC News, Roszke, southern Hungary
Image copyrightReutersNext to a set of old railway tracks, a long line of
migrants and refugees queues for buses to take them to nearby
registration camps, which I have not been able to visit.
A police officer calls families forward one by one. "Syria? Afghanistan? Pakistan?" the officer asks in English.
He notes their reply on a piece of paper and lets them board.
A translator stands by to help. At one point, she picks up a rake and clears rubbish from the road in front of the bus.
By
contrast to the chaos and panic I witnessed at the same place on Friday
night, the atmosphere is calm. The police are courteous and organised.
Volunteers walk along the line handing out sandwiches and bottles of water. The refugee families wait patiently in the sun. Follow James on Twitter Read more BBC coverage of the migrant crisis Europe migrant crisis: Are you affected? Crisis explained in graphics Can the EU overcome rifts? What next for Germany's asylum seekers? What can the EU do to solve the crisis? Nine key moments in crisis
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter appealed urgently for other German regions to do more to process and accommodate the new arrivals.
He described as "scandalous" the failure of other regions to provide more accommodation, according to state broadcaster ARD.
Reports
suggest the government is considering new temporary powers to take
control of unoccupied rental property to accommodate migrants. The crisis has exposed deep divisions within the
European Union. The European Commission announced plans for obligatory
quotas to share out 120,000 additional asylum seekers among 25 member
countries.
The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia oppose being forced to take in new arrivals.
Hungary,
which has struggled to cope with some 150,000 migrants who have crossed
its borders so far this year, has faced criticism.
The Austrian
chancellor said Hungary's treatment of migrants reminded him of the
darkest days of Europe's history - an apparent allusion to the Nazis.
The Hungarian government spokesman said Werner Faymann had run amok.
A note on terminology:
The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who
have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group
includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely
to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs
and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic
migrants.
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