sewer are europe's refugees crisis, austria warns it won't allow people to cross its territory for much longer. ♪ ♪ hello there, i am julie mcdonald, this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up. guyed mall ans are voting for i new president in an election overshadowed by a corruption scandal. these pictures show russian soldiers fighting in syria. we'll look at the evidence. while nigeria's illegal miners say a government crack

down they wants their livelihoods. ♪ ♪ hello there, warm welcome to the program. austria says it will lift emergency measures that have allowed thousands of refugees to travel in to germany during the weekend, now, the country had eased restriction to his help relieve the humanitarian crisis. but for now, thousands of people are continuing to make their way towards western europe. many are now at the border between hungary and austria so far european leaders have failed to agree on a common response to the crisis. there are still thousands waiting to make that trip near the hungarian southern board we are serbia. police are moving people in to a new transit camp. hungary says it will seal the crossing with a new hyphens in less than five days time. for many, though, the trim is at last over. as refugees arrived in germany by train and bus, many were met with cheers and with applause. from the austrian border mohamed

jamjoon has the story. >> hello. hello. >> reporter: having suffered so much, the welcome was unexpected. the hospitality almost shocking. >> now i am feeling like i get my freedom. >> reporter: just two days ago he was among hundreds of refugees lock ed in a tense standoff with riot police at the train station in hungary. >> we need to go today. today is the day. >> reporter: despite their demands, the refugees are ultimately rounded up and taken to a holding facility. released the next day, he and his cousins walked 11 hours to make it to austria. now the man who fled his war-ravaged homelands of syria a month and a half ago is overwhelmed by the generosity on display. >> we get treatment, we get food, we get water. actually, i like it, the people, i like the country. if my family is not front, i

swear i stay here. that from the last, but my family in the whole land that's why i am going. >> reporter: as medics provided care, volunteers distributed clothes to the cold and toys to the children. all these dozens of refugees here are waiting to get on this next train to vienna, everybody we have spoken with here today says that their treatment here in austria has been exceptional, that's it's been so much better than the way they were treated in hungary. in fact, here, evening before they get on the train, there is another place where they can get water. >> i try to help the people. >> reporter: austrian lawyer explained why he had to come here. telling me not just about how proud he is, but also how sad he feels. >> it's a great experience. and sometimes i feel very small. especially when you see the little babies, yeah. i cannot understand the people are angry with little babies who

freeze and stay at night in the cold and in rain, yeah. this is -- this goes over my understanding. >> reporter: on a day like today, kindness trumped hostility. officers were there to protect not persecute. as refugees were led onto trains instead of being forced off. desperation for at least a few merciful hours was left behind. mohamed jamjoon, al jazeera, austria. thousands of refugees have started arriving in germany. the end point of their long and at times dangerous journey from munich rob reynolds reports. >> reporter: destination germany. another train carrying refugees pulls in to munich's central station, men, women and children tumble o out. many have escaped the civil war in syria. even the youngest gets a warm welcome from a volunteer.

the refugees appeared weary as they made their way under police escort to a reception area. we asked in arabic how they felt to german be in germany. >> translator: thanks good we a paved in a developed country like germany. >> reporter: this woman said they made nearly all the journal journal on foot. [ inaudible ] i coming to germany to risk to learn -- because germany. [ inaudible ] and she said that her dream is to stay in germany until the end of her life in germany because germany is a land, a country of blessing and -- and humanity. >> reporter: volunteers helped bridge the language barrier and shepherd the refugees through the station. >> germany by itself can't do it

all. we need all the help we can get. every voice count. >> reporter: as the refugees took their first steps in a process that for most will ultimately lead to official refugees status, european politicians fretted over their next moves. german officials met to streamline rules for alum and allocate funds for refugees shelters. austrian chancellor called for an emergency european union summit meeting. saying his country's decision to allow thousands of refugees to his enter from hungary was only a temporary measure. but germans who turned up at the station seemed happy to see the refugees reach safety. and glad that their country had thrown open its doors. >> translator: i have strong feelings about all of this. i reached out my happened to one of them and it just made me cry. >> reporter: germans are also helping out by donating essential items.

german volunteers say so many people have come forward to offer clothing, toys, blankets and other items to the refugees, that they have to turn away some donations because they just don't have room for them all. just weeks ago during the greek debt crisis, germany's policies were seen by many as harsh and unyielding. now the country at the heart of europe has shown the world its heart. going live now to speak to rob reynolds in munich. hi there, rob. seeing the look of relief on people's faces in your report was wonderful but what happens now? how do people get housed and do they have to go through a process? >> reporter: indeed, there is a process for apply for asylum, to register with the german authorities. it is a somewhat cumbersome process by some accounts, and in other places, for example, in

berlin, where we have visited, we have talked to refugees who say that they have been waiting for weeks, ream toy get all o of the paperwork in order. as far as where each individual refugees is staying tonight, they are being bused around to various spots around the city. we just saw a group leave here not long ago on foot going to a nearby municipal sports facility. so they will be sheltered safely tonight. but as for the question of where they will wind up eventually, that's very much up in the air. will they all remain in germany? will the german plan that other countries should share some of the burden, will that come to fruition, we don't know any of that yet. julie. >> and, rob, we also saw lots of people in your report making donations for people. i am just wondering, though, what the government are going through at the moment. are they showing a strain?

and what is the long-term planning after this initial welcome comes to an end? >> reporter: well, there are science of strain, for example, munich is the capital of bavaria, it's one of the largest areas of federal states in germany. and bavarian authorities said sd today that they are reaching their limits. they cannot handle the entire influx alone. and they have asked other german lands or other german states to help share some of the burden. and then if you go up to the national level, the interior ministry in berlin today, issued a statement saying that germany's big willingness to help in this instance with the refugees crisis should not be overstretched or overestimated. and then if you go to the international level, you are going to have a meeting tomorrow in berlin between german chancellor angela merkel and the serbian prime minister alexander undoubtedly they will be

discussing how to deal with the refugees flows that go through serbia, a none.u. nation and then go on through there to hungary and in to germany and elsewhere, so some signs of strain and as far as your question about a long-term solution to all of this, it's really anybody's guess. there will be a big meeting of e.u. ministers on the 14th of september, various planned will be discussed there, i think that from talking to some of the refugees, what they would most like to see is an end to the civil war in syria and that would solve a lot of their own personal need to leave as well as save their families that they have unfortunately had to leave behind. julie. >> rob remember else there joining me live there mean i believe, rob, thank you. the u.n. refugees agency has now put a figure on the number of refugees who have made the

dangerous mediterranean sea crossing so far this year. almost 245,000 people have arrived in greece. italy has taken in around 119,000 sea arrivals. 2,800 people are either dead or missing after attempting the dangerous crossing. u.n. refugees agency unhcr spokes woman melissa fleming explains university how the refugees statistics are tallied. >> we work very closely with the coast guards, with the authorities in the frontline countries, greece, italy, but also in all of the countries where refugees are arriving in europe, so we get those figures on a daily basis, we put them in to our state i cans. unfortunately we have for add to our statistics that there are many, many deaths crossing the mediterranean, almost 2,600 so far this year. and those deaths unfortunately show that it's extremely dangerous to cross. many of them unfortunately don't

have a name. and people still maybe for that reason keep coming. we had one day last week where 14,000 people arrived in greece on the greek islands, these are islands that are used to reaching tourists, and not, you know, 10s of thousands of refugees. so obviously, but the only way to move from the -- a greek island to the main land is if you have a registration document. and that's how we know how many people are coming, what nationality, they say they are and then we have the same procedure in the former yugoslav republic of macedon yeah, they need a transit document to move through the country, sake in serbia and to a certain he can tent, also up until now in hungary. that's why we are getting all the numbers. the catholic pope has used his sunday address at the vatican to call for every european pair tower tak perish a

family fleeing danger. pope francis spoke in his weekly mass and said there are two perishes at the vatican that will each take in a refugees family in the coming days and also for the wider religions community to do all that it could to hem. >> translator: faced with a tragedy of 10s of thousands of refugees who are fleeing death from war and from hunger and who are on the road in hope of a better life. the gospel calls us and asks us to show solidarity to the smallest and the abandoned to and give them hope i'm peel to the perishes, the reledge communities, monetaries and sanctuaries of all our up to show the true meaning of the gospel and take in one family of refugees. still ahead on the program. how morocco has become home to thousands of people who have left their homes in subsaharan africa. the. and the iraqi airlift. challenges of getting aid to a people of a city entirely surrounded by isil. all that and more when we come back.

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♪ ♪ welcome back. reminders of the top stories on al jazeera. as thousands of people continues to make their way towards western europe. austrian authorities say they will tighten border restrictions. in germany, thousands of refugees have arrived over the weekend with many more expected in the coming days. and the catholic pope has called for every european pair tower take in a refugees family fleeing danger in their home countries. now, a decade ago the most popular route for migrants and refugees trying to get to europe

was from morocco to spain. but many people who have made their way from subsaharan africa to the mediterranean coast have become strand ed in ma rock oh, a report from tangier. >> reporter: this is a summer camp for children of refugees and local moroccans. they spend the summer together and now are rehearsing for a farewell party. the same is to raise awareness of the plight of thousands of africans who have been forced by conflict and tough condition to his seek a better life in europe. frank arrived in morocco five years ago. his fight for legal rights paid off. he is now a legal resident here. his next move it "america tonight" to find a decent job. >> translator: migrants should have access to healthcare. be able to find work and take their kids to school. and above all, be treated equally and with respect by the moroccoan society.

>> reporter: but many refugees here say they face tough times. some live in caves or in the forest, spending the day hiding from the police. they try to climb stepse fence s get in to the city which is connected by land to morocco, but is part of europe. >> translator: i am here for one purpose, to get to europe. we live in the forest, each mornhinweg out looking for something to eat. we have nothing. life here is tough. >> reporter: we met a group of refugees in the northern city of tangiers, they all say that they face discrimination every day. a volunteer, she teaches young migrants english. an experience she says has changed her life. >> when i first came the first day i wasn't really in to it. but then we had this close relationship and i felt really different sides of them.

that were hidden. we have different ideas about subsaharan people and some of our moroccan people too. but then the more i know them, the more i spend time with them, the more i get attached to them. >> reporter: thousands of immigrants are now legal resident in morocco. which means they have permission to stay in the country, but there are thousands more who say they have been abandoned, betrayed by rich nations. now that europe has stepped up border controls, many subsaharan migrants find they were seven trafficked here in morocco. this is their dream. europe, on the other side of the mediterranean. but to get there, they say they have no other option but to leave at night and attempt the dangerous crossing by boat. al jazeera, tangiers. right now people in guatemala are vote to go choose a new president. it's an election that's been overshadowed by a major corruption scandal. the president otto perez molina stepped down this week and was

arrested. so who could be his replace think. mario david garcia velazquez is standing for the ruling concept be tiff patriotic party but the corruption scandal surrounding the government won't have help had had immaterial. the opposition hasn't been immune to scandal oath with mechanics of the center right leader party also under investigation. their candidate manuel has been leading those polls, but an independent candidate jimmy morales who is a comic actor has been edging ahead. dade i hadavid joins us live. giving the scandal and controversy is, what has turn ot been like so far? >> reporter: well, it's been surprisingly good. we have been at this polling station here in guatemala city since the polls open ahead 7:00 this morning. we are about just over midway through the day, and organizers here just told thousands they have got more than 50% of the people registered to vote who have already come out to vote

here. so they are thinking that they might get 80% plus voter turn out, which is a pretty huge number considering what you said about the corruption that has been onslaughting the government here. there was a large push to have these elections canceled or delayed to allow for some very important electoral reforms to be pushed through congress, that hasn't happened. people said they may not turn out to vote as a form of protest or spoil their ballot, but we have seen is a steady stream of people who think that their vote could count even with 14 candidates in front of then. none say that many candidates has what it takes to bring guatemala out of the crisis and offer to restore credibility to the government. what we are seeing now is a big turn out and we have to city when the votesee whenthe votes r guatemala has a new president or have to go to a second round of voting in late october. julie. >> david mercer there live from

guatemala city, david, thank you. now, an independent report has don decemberred the mexican got office investigate in to the disappearance of 43 students almost a year ago saying they may have been killed in a case of mistaken identity by drug smugglers, the student protesters were attacked in the southern city of iguala after highjacking buses during a december trailings last december. a report from the i want americainter americancommissions one of the buses may have contained a drug shipment. a diplomatic effort to end the what are in syria seem to be going nowhere with the rub an and u.s. hardening their positions for and against president is sad. john kerry spoke to his russian counterpart on saturday to express concern about reports of an increased russian military presence in the country. pictures released by syrian activists show russian fighters backing syrian forces in the country sources close to the syrian regime say some of the images released show soldiers at

a russian base a support city where syrian soldiers are being trained. now, at least 20 people have been killed and saudi-led coalition airstrikes in northern yemen. people living in just north of the capital sanaa, said war planes attacked and hit a wake which was being held for a local man who had been killed by houthi gunfire. well that, comes as the saudi-led coalition forces have carried out other airstrikes on the yemeni capital sanaa. the republican guard and special forces headquarters were amongst those targets. they are controlled by houthi rebels said forces loyal to former president saleh. now, people living in the iraqi city of huh keit huh keitn left trapped. they are now surviving on food surprise being especially flown n al jazeera's zeina khord has

more now on how conditions are getting worse. >> reporter: this is the only way to reach haditha account the roads around this town are too dangerous for both the iraq military and civilians to use. that is why the government needs to airlift surprise in to this town. this air base in nearby is the only lifeline. haditha is suhr rounded by isil fighters, many people have left because the armed group has repeatedly launched offensive to capture one of the last remaining center in anbar province that hasn't fallen to its forces. those who are still in the town are largely cut off from the rest of the country. weekly delivers of humanitarian aid helps them survive. >> translator: one sack of flour costs around $900, most of the time we sleep without eating because we can't afford to buy food. >> reporter: these people are poor. they prefer to stay in their homes than to join the millions of iraqi who his have been displaced by war. life here, however, hasn't been

easy. >> translator: we are thankful for the dade but there is a lack of electricity we ask the government to help us. >> reporter: haditha has long been a target for isil. it's surrounded by desert but hasn't been easy defending this town. in one offensive isil used 39 suicide core bamming. >> translator: the enemy has tried to dance in haditha and attacked it more than 100 times in the past year and a half. but isil a still has not been able to enter and establish a foot hold in the region. the road is an important supply line but it's vulnerable to act torque it links the air base to one of iraq's most important structures. the haditha damn is the second large effort in the country that contributes at least 1/3 of iraq's electricity needs it could also being used as a weapon of war if isil opens its gates and floods local area. the your honor expanded its air

campaign against isil, since then u.s. assistance has been one of the many reasons isil hasn't been able to capture haditha and its damn. the area is also important to the u.s. because it's close to the air base where its military advisers are training sunni tribal fighters. u.s. air cover has so far allowed iraqi forces and local sunni fighters to hold haditha. but for now, those ground troops are in no position to use this area as a staging ground to take on isil of the armed group controls most of anbar province, zeina khodr, al jazeera, baghdad. an informal summit on climate change is being held in paris, leaders from around the world have come together for talks in the french capital address of the u.n. climate change being held there in november. france's foreign minister says a strong commitment is needed to address global warming. >> translator: last year was the hottest year ever recorded and 2015 may, in fact, surpass that

record. the month of july was the hottest month ever recorded and in your countries, we saw massive heat waves with very high temperatures. for example, our iranian friends who joined for us this gathering, they saw temperatures as high as 70 degrees celsius, we see a number of extreme climate phenomenon, that our different populations endure. the nigerian government is planning to exploit its solid mineral resource to his offset the decline in global oil prices but says that losing millions of dollars in refugees every year from illegal mining and now wants the minders to pay tax on what they earn, ahmad idris reports from northern >> reporter: he has been working the mines for 17 years. he dropped out of school because he says his parents couldn't afford the expenses. but soon he may have to look for another job. because the authorities are planning to crack down on illegal mining.

and he is not amused. >> translator: this is my life. i can't do anything else. if anyone wants to take this job away from me, he must give me a home, a innin, a decent sandwicl the comforts of life. >> reporter: most of the gold prospecting may be small scale and crude but the turnover for people like him is huge. a good day can fetch hundreds of dollars and those are the dollars the government also wants. for a long time enforcement against illegal mining has been weak. but not anymore. now the authorities want him and hundreds like him to pay taxes on their enings. >> if miners are paying their taxes, it will aually. [ inaudible ] because inning the miners that are coming here and giving their own, i don't know, actually there should be good

development here. >> reporter: the federal government which has natural resources like gold says tight resources are underway. gold processing units like this litter the northwest of nigeria, most are unlicensed as such they hardly pay taxes but the biggest challenge before the government is to get the main mining companies to pay. but the miners say they are willing to pay taxes if the government could end corruption. >> we can pay more taxes. [ inaudible ] because. [ inaudible ] if we want the government to stop foreigners to coming to nigeria for the mining and leave the nigerians only to enjoy its weathers. >> reporter: for now, that is not what the government wants to do. it wants to stop illegal mining and bring in investigators with the capacity to generate revenue and jobs in the sector. which means more difficult times are likely ahead for small-time

miners. mohamed idris, al jazeera, nigeria. and you can find out much more on our website the address for that is www.al jazerra.com. i'm ali velshi. target tonight. inheriting debt from your parents, if you think it can't happen in america, think again. in the united states, health care is a multibillion dollar industry that makes a lot of money for doctors hospitals insurers, hospitals operate out