Snow makes journey through Europe harder
It’s the first time that Arman Butt, a Pakistani man desperately seeking to reach western Europe, sees snow.
But as the 30-year-old goes limp in the harsh chill, stuck at the Slovenian-Austrianborder, he wishes it was not quite so cold.
He is one of some 50 men braving freezing temperatures and walking the short distance that separates the Austrian border post from Slovenia.
Butt is from Lahore, in the east of Pakistan. He has been on the move since Sept 20.
A few hours ago, he was pushed back into Slovenia by Austrian border guards. Wearing canvas shoes, his feet are frozen and he can barely walk.
Yet he is determined to keep trying until he makes it across.
Slovenian civil defense teams and army troops march alongside the migrants toward Austria’s Spielfeld frontier post.
Every day, about 900 refugees and migrants who have braved freezing-cold temperatures arrive here on trains from Croatia, further south.
Most people reaching Europe’s shores have fled wars and violence in Syria,
We can’t go backwards, we have spent too much money to come here.” Arman Butt, 30-year-old Pakistani refugee
Iraq and Afghanistan.
Many others though, like Butt, are in search of a better life. They are facing major difficulties in getting across borders on the so-called Balkan migrant route to western Europe.
Several European states have introduced unprecedented border controls since the peak of the migrant crisis last year. EU powerhouse Germany — the migrants’ preferred destination — and Austria tightened controls in mid-September.
Butt said he left Pakistan in September because he was convinced that “Europe had opened up its borders”.
“We can’t go backward, we have spent too much money to come here,” he said, adding that he has already spent 7,000 euros ($7,500).