UNHCR saddened by man's death in Bicske, Hungary

The UN refugee agency is saddened at the death of a 50 year old man, on Friday, near a refugee reception centre in the Hungarian town of Bicske.

UNHCR staff on the ground were gathering exact details about the circumstance of the death. However, initial reports suggested the man falling down and hitting his head against train tracks, while trying to run away from the police at the train station. An ambulance was called which tried to provide medical assistance on the spot, but the man reportedly died after 50 minutes of the incident.

"This is a shocking incident," said Montserrat Feixas Vihé, UNHCR's regional representative for Central Europe in Budapest. "All our thoughts and sympathies are with his family."

The incident apparently happened when refugees and migrants were brought from the Keleti train station in Budapest refused to move to a refugee reception centre. After a long standoff over 200 of them started to get off and ran away from the police.

"This tragic death illustrates the desperation of those arriving in Europe in search of safety," UNHCR's Feixas Vihé added. "We urge the Hungarian authorities to put in place immediate and adequate emergency reception, assistance and registration capacity, so that refugees disembarking in Europe are welcomed into a safe and caring environment."

UNHCR has offered its help to the authorities in Hungary to deal with large influx of people - a majority of whom are fleeing war and persecution. At the same time, the agency has called on EU member states to support countries like Hungary through a mass relocation programme.

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