Image caption Ten thousand police and soldiers have been deployed along Hungary's border to keep migrants out

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn has called for Hungary to be suspended or even expelled from the European Union because of its "massive violation" of EU fundamental values.

He cited the Budapest government's treatment of refugees, independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press.

"Hungary is not far away from issuing orders to open fire on refugees," he suggested.

Hungary said Mr Asselborn "could not be taken seriously".

EU leaders meet in Slovakia on Friday to discuss the union's future.

Mr Asselborn's interview with German daily Die Welt is likely to inflame passions ahead of the summit.

The EU could not tolerate "such inappropriate behaviour", he said, and any state that violated such basic values "should be excluded temporarily, or if necessary for ever, from the EU''. It was "the only possibility to protect the cohesion and values of the European Union,'' he said.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto hit back, saying that his Luxembourg counterpart had "long left the ranks of politicians who could be taken seriously". Mr Asselborn was a "frivolous character", he said, adding that he was "patronising, arrogant and frustrated".

Mr Asselborn's remarks also drew condemnation from Latvia's foreign minister, who spoke of "megaphone diplomacy".

And German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a personal friend of the Luxembourg minister, said while he could understand some in Europe were "becoming impatient, it is not my personal approach to show a member state the door".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Anti-migrant messages in Hungary have seen public sympathy for migrants plummet, as Nick Thorpe reports

Hungary joined the EU in 2004 and while the European Union can reject or delay a candidate from joining, it is not thought to have the power to expel an existing member state.

When the far-right Freedom Party joined Austria's government in 2000, EU member states responded by freezing bilateral diplomatic relations with Austria. Later that year the EU ended Austria's diplomatic isolation.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Mr Asselborn said Hungary was not far away from issuing orders to shoot at refugees

Image caption Hungary is boosting the number of forces on its borders, but the number of asylum seekers trying to get in has fallen

Hungary was caught up in an enormous influx of migrants and refugees a year ago as more than a million people headed through central Europe from the shores of Greece towards Germany and other Western European countries.

Eventually, it sealed its borders with Serbia and Croatia and built a 175km (110-mile) razor-wire fence to stop people crossing on their way to Austria. Some 10,000 police and soldiers have been deployed to guard the frontier.

Hungary's diplomatic fallout - BBC's Nick Thorpe

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has reacted with fury.

The head of Hungarian diplomacy described his Luxembourg counterpart as a "classic nihilist" who worked tirelessly to destroy Europe's security and culture. By way of contrast, Hungary was defending not only its own territory, but that of the EU as well, the foreign minister insisted.

"Only Hungarians have the right to decide who they wish to live with."

Image caption Prime Minister Viktor Orban has promised to build a stronger fence at Kelebia, where there is a makeshift camp for migrants

The number of migrants trying to enter Hungary has fallen dramatically in recent weeks.

At the Horgos Transit Zone on the Hungary-Serbian border, only 80 were waiting on Monday, down from 800 on some days in July.

Beside the Kelebia Transit Zone there were about 60, mostly from Syria and Iraq. Some had been living in atrocious conditions next to the razor wire fence for more than 10 weeks.

Approximately 4,500 migrants are currently in camps in Serbia. Most are now trying alternative routes to Europe through Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia.

A referendum takes place on 2 October when Hungarians will be asked to decide on an EU quota to take in refugees. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has strongly criticised the EU's plans to relocate 160,000 refugees across the bloc and his government has campaigned vigorously for a No vote.

Mr Asselborn, whose country is a founder member of the EU, complained that Hungary's border fence was getting higher, longer and more dangerous.

His remark that Hungary was not far from ordering live fire is likely to refer to a decision by police earlier this month to recruit 3,000 "border-hunters". The new force will carry pepper spray and pistols with live ammunition as part of their task to keep migrants out.

What are the EU's fundamental values?

In the Treaty on European Union (Article 2) EU values are spelt out as "human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities".

The EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights became legally binding on national governments as well as the EU's institutions, as part of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty.

Those rights and freedoms range from freedom of thought and expression to the right to asylum, a fair trial and fair working conditions.

As a condition of membership of the EU, a candidate country has to fulfil 35 separate chapters of requirements including an independent judiciary.</s>Luxembourg’s foreign minister has said that Hungary should be temporarily or even permanently expelled from the European Union over its approach to refugees and other issues.

Jean Asselborn’s comments in Tuesday’s edition of German daily Die Welt came days before 27 EU leaders meet in Bratislava, Slovakia to discuss the bloc’s future without the UK.

He said the EU cannot tolerate fundamental values being violated.

“Anyone who, like Hungary, builds fences against refugees from war or who violates press freedom and judicial independence should be excluded temporarily, or if necessary forever, from the EU,” Mr Asselborn was quoted as saying.

He argued it is the only way to “preserve the cohesion and values of the European Union”.

Mr Asselborn said that Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban is “protected by at least one other country”, which he did not identify, and that it would be “helpful” for EU rules to be amended so that suspending a member country’s membership no longer requires a unanimous vote.

Hungary was among the loudest critics of EU plans to redistribute asylum-seekers in the bloc among its members.

Last year, it erected razor-wire fences on its borders with Serbia and Croatia to stem the flow.

Hungary is holding a government-sponsored referendum October 2nd seeking support for rejecting any future EU plan to resettle migrants among member states.

“He wants to exclude Hungary from the EU but he has long excluded himself from among the politicians who can be taken seriously,” Mr Szijjarto said in a statement, accusing Mr Asselborn of “working tirelessly to demolish European security and culture”.

Mr Szijjarto said the referendum would give Hungarians the opportunity to voice their opinion about “illegal immigrants, Brussels’ quota package and the Jean Asselborn-type figures”.

German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday he did not share the view expressed by his Luxembourg counterpart.

“This is not an agreed position in Europe, ” Mr Steinmeier said at a news conference in Riga. “I can understand, looking at Hungary, that some in Europe are getting impatient... however, it is not my personal approach to show a European member state the door”, he added.</s>BERLIN (AP) — Luxembourg's foreign minister says Hungary should be temporarily or even permanently expelled from the European Union over its approach to refugees and other issues.

Jean Asselborn's comments in German daily Die Welt came days before 27 EU leaders meet in Bratislava to discuss the bloc's future. He said the EU can't tolerate fundamental values being violated.

Asselborn was quoted Tuesday as saying: "Anyone who, like Hungary, builds fences against refugees from war or who violates press freedom and judicial independence should be excluded temporarily, or if necessary for ever, from the EU." He argued it's the only way to "preserve the cohesion and values of the European Union."

Hungary is holding a government-sponsored referendum Oct. 2 seeking support for rejecting any future EU plan to resettle migrants among member states.</s>Luxembourg has demanded Hungary be kicked out of the EU - for building a 110-mile-long fence to stop migrants crossing the continent.

Foreign minister Jean Asselborn said the Hungarian government had disregarded the 'values of the EU' with its tough approach to migration.

But Hungary hit back describing the tiny country, which is one of the Europe's wealthiest, as a 'tax haven' that has been 'working tirelessly to demolish European security and culture'.

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban erected the razor-wire fence on its southern border last year after it became part of the route for migrants heading from Greece towards countries such as Germany and Sweden.

According to official figures, Hungary received 174,435 asylum applications last year, the equivalent of 17,699 per million inhabitants.

In contrast, Luxembourg had just 2,360 applications – or 4,194 per million inhabitants.

In a scathing attack, Mr Asselborn said removing Hungary was the only way to 'preserve the cohesion and values of the European Union'.

He told German newspaper Die Welt: 'Anyone who, like Hungary, builds fences against refugees from war or who violates press freedom and judicial independence should be excluded temporarily, or if necessary forever, from the EU.

'The fence that Hungary is building to keep out refugees is getting longer, higher and more dangerous. Hungary is not far from issuing an order to shoot refugees.'

Mr Asselborn said it would be 'helpful' to amend EU rules so that suspending a member country no longer requires a unanimous vote.

Hungary has been the loudest critics of plans drawn up by European Commission president and former Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker to redistribute asylum-seekers through the continent according to compulsory quotas.

Mr Orban is holding a referendum next month seeking support for rejecting any future EU plan to resettle migrants among member states.

Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto yesterday described Mr Asselborn as 'condescending and uppity', while arguing that his country had defended Europe throughout its history.

'He wants to exclude Hungary from the EU but he has long excluded himself from among the politicians who can be taken seriously,' he said.

Mr Szijjarto said the referendum would give Hungarians the opportunity to voice their opinion about 'illegal immigrants, Brussels' quota package and the Jean Asselborn-type figures'.

He added that it was strange that a land of 'tax optimisation' was looking to criticise others about shared burdens.

Czech prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka said talk of expelling EU members was 'nonsense'.

German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said: 'It is not my personal position to show a European member state the door.'

Last October, Luxembourg faced embarrassment after a group of 30 Syrian asylum seekers in Greece were offered places there but refused to go.</s>The Austrian and German foreign ministers joined Hungaryʼs Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó today in firmly rejecting a suggestion by their Luxembourg colleague Jean Asselborn that Hungary should be temporarily or permanently ejected from the European Union, the Hungarian media reported widely today.

“Those who build fences against refugees like Hungary does, or who violate press freedom and judicial independence, should be excluded temporarily or forever from the EU,” said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn in an interview with German national daily newspaper Die Welt. He added that this is “the only way to preserve the cohesion and values of the EU.”

Asselborn expressed the view that if Hungary were to apply for EU membership today, then it would have no chance of being accepted. He said that the fence which Hungary has built to keep out refugees “will only get longer, higher and more dangerous,” adding that, in his view, “Hungary is now not so far away from giving the order to fire on refugees.”

Asselborn said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has caused a major problem for Europe, because while the EU would like to present a united front to the outside world and to stand up for certain values, it is no longer able to maintain these values within its borders. “Moreover,” he noted, “all this is happening in a country from where hundreds of thousands fled to Europe from the Soviets in 1956.”

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz described Asselborn’s words as unacceptable, saying that while serious words may be exchanged within the EU, sending messages through the media does not contribute to mutual cooperation.

“Hungary is a European state, a member of the EU and Austria’s neighbor,” Kurz stressed, adding that "we need respect, so that peace in Europe in not endangered.”

“I can understand, looking at Hungary, that some people are increasingly impatient in Europe because of the constant squabbles between the European Commission and the Hungarian government. However, it is not my personal approach to show a European member the door,” said Steinmeier.

Responding to his Luxembourg colleague’s comments, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said the Hungarian people have a right to express their opinion, and to decide with whom they wish to live.

Szijjártó added that “we already knew that Jean Asselborn is not a serious figure,” and described him as “a proper nihilist” who is “sermonizing, conceited and frustrated.”

By contrast, Szijjártó said, Hungary has always protected Europe throughout its history, and is doing so now, adding that the Hungarian people will deliver their opinion in the referendum on October 2 on illegal immigration, the Brussels quota package, and “figures like Jean Asselborn.”</s>Hungary should be excluded from EU, Luxembourg For Min tells paper

BERLIN, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Hungary should be excluded from the European Union because of its tough anti-migrant policies, including erecting a razor-wire fence, which undermine the EU's values, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told Germany's Die Welt newspaper on Tuesday.

The unusually strong comments against Viktor Orban's government come days before an EU summit in Bratislava.

"We cannot accept that the basic values of the European Union are being so seriously breached," Asselborn told Die Welt. (Writing by Madeline Chambers, editing by Larry King)</s>German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday he did not share a view expressed by his Luxembourg counterpart in a newspaper interview that Hungary should be excluded from the European Union because of its tough anti-migrant policies.

"This is not an agreed position in Europe," Steinmeier said at a news conference in Riga. "I can understand, looking at Hungary, that some in Europe are getting impatient... however, it is not my personal approach to show a European member state the door," he added.

Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn told Germany's Die Welt newspaper that Hungary should be excluded from the EU because of policies like the building of a razor-wire fence to keep out migrants undermine EU values.</s>Hungary should be excluded from EU, Luxembourg For Min tells paper

BERLIN, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Hungary should be excluded from the European Union because of its tough anti-migrant policies, including erecting a razor-wire fence, which undermine the EU's values, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told the Germany's newspaper Die Welt on Tuesday.

The unusually strong comments against Viktor Orban's government come days before an EU summit in Bratislava.

"We cannot accept that the basic values of the European Union are being so seriously breached," Asselborn told Die Welt.

"Anyone, like Hungary, who builds fences against war refugees or breaches press freedom and the independence of the justice system should be temporarily, or if needed forever, excluded from the EU," Asselborn said.

Orban has angered many of his EU partners with his tough rhetoric on migrants and by building a razor-wire fence along Hungary's southern border to keep them out.

He has also urged Hungarians to vote in a referendum next month against future EU quotas stipulating how many refugees each country should take.

The EU could not tolerate such behaviour, and exclusion was "the only possibility to preserve the integrity and values of the European Union," Asselborn said, adding it would be helpful to change the rules to allow a county to be suspended without unanimous agreement.

Asselborn said humans fleeing from war were being treated almost worse than wild animals.

"The fence that Hungary is building to keep out refugees is getting longer, higher and more dangerous. Hungary is not far from issuing an order to shoot refugees," he said. (Writing by Madeline Chambers, editing by Larry King)</s>German For Min says on Hungary: We should not push out EU partner

RIGA, Sept 13 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday he did not share a view expressed by his Luxembourg counterpart in a newspaper interview that Hungary should be excluded from the European Union because of its tough anti-migrant policies.

"This is not an agreed position in Europe," Steinmeier said at a news conference in Riga. "I can understand, looking at Hungary, that some in Europe are getting impatient... however, it is not my personal approach to show a European member state the door," he added.

Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn told Germany's Die Welt newspaper that Hungary should be excluded from the EU because of policies like the building of a razor-wire fence to keep out migrants undermine EU values. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Gederts Gelzis; Writing by Madeline Chambers in Berlin; Editing by Michelle Martin)</s>ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Latest on Europe’s migration crisis (all times local):

A Romanian television station is reporting that two migrants, including a 5-year-old boy, have drowned and six are missing after their boat sank last week crossing the River Danube from Bulgaria to Romania.

Romanian television Digi24, reporting from Bulgaria on Tuesday, says the bodies were found in the Bulgarian waters of the Danube after their boat capsized on Thursday. Authorities are searching for six others in the river, which forms part of the border between Bulgaria and Romania.

The station reported that another four migrants were rescued and were taken to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. The station said the migrants had come from Turkey and were trying to avoid Serbia, where border controls have been tightened up.

The station reported authorities found the body of a 5-year-old boy and a teenager on Sunday.

Border police in the Bulgarian port of Ruse didn’t immediately respond to calls from The Associated Press. Romanian border police on the other side of the Danube declined to comment.

A group of senior international diplomats has harshly criticized the European Union’s deal with Turkey to send back migrants in return for financial aid, calling it a “bad example” to other countries.

The Elders, a global human rights group founded by the late Nelson Mandela, say the agreement between Brussels and Ankara “is morally dubious” and may be illegal under international law.

In a report published Tuesday, they say the deal “sets a troubling precedent” that other countries with bad human rights records may use to demand payment in return for preventing migrants from traveling to Europe.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the group was “raising the alarm” about the agreement and compared it to the way civil liberties had been curtailed around the world after the 9/11 attacks.

Hungary’s foreign minister rebuked his Luxembourg counterpart, who said that Hungary should be temporarily or even permanently expelled from the European Union over its approach to refugees and other issues.

Hungary is holding a government-sponsored referendum Oct. 2 seeking support for rejecting any future EU plan to resettle migrants among member states.

Szijjarto said the referendum would give Hungarians the opportunity to voice their opinion about “illegal immigrants, Brussels’ quota package and the Jean Asselborn-type figures.”

Just 24 hours after his family was rescued from an overcrowded rubber boat, a baby boy has been born aboard a rescue vessel in the Mediterranean Sea.

Doctors Without Borders, one of the operators of the rescue ship Aquarius, said the boy was born to Nigerian parents in international waters Monday morning. He was named Newman Otas.

Jonquil Nicholl, a midwife with the aid group who delivered the baby, said it was “a very normal birth in dangerously abnormal conditions.”

Parents Otas and Faith and older brothers Victory and Rollres were rescued from a rubber boat trying to cross the Mediterranean from Libya a day previously.

The baby’s mother said she was panicking before the rescue that she would go into labor, and had been having contractions for three days.

Luxembourg’s foreign minister says Hungary should be temporarily or even permanently expelled from the European Union over its approach to refugees and other issues.

Jean Asselborn’s comments in German daily Die Welt came days before 27 EU leaders meet in Bratislava to discuss the bloc’s future. He said the EU can’t tolerate fundamental values being violated.

Asselborn was quoted Tuesday as saying: “Anyone who, like Hungary, builds fences against refugees from war or who violates press freedom and judicial independence should be excluded temporarily, or if necessary for ever, from the EU.” He argued it’s the only way to “preserve the cohesion and values of the European Union.”

Hungary is holding a government-sponsored referendum Oct. 2 seeking support for rejecting any future EU plan to resettle migrants among member states.

Greece’s coast guard says a search and rescue operation is underway for dozens of migrants on board a boat near the Greek island of Samos, after someone on board called emergency services.

The coast guard said a helicopter and vessel from the European border patrol agency Frontex and a coast guard vessel are searching north of Samos for the vessel, which the caller said was carrying about 40 people.

The short but often-dangerous crossing from the Turkish coast to nearby Greek islands has been the preferred route for more than a million refugees and migrants hoping for better lives in the European Union. But an EU deal with Turkey reached in March and Balkan border closures have severely restricted the flow.
Luxembourg's foreign minister Jean Asselborn calls for Hungary to be expelled from the European Union for its treatment of migrants.