Polish police have forced 230 asylum seekers from Georgia and Chechnya to leave a train they had boarded in an attempt to illegally reach Strasbourg in a human rights protest.
The group, which is protesting against poor living conditions and long waiting times for asylum applications in Poland, boarded the train with no tickets, and refused to leave when stopped at the German border.
The train was stopped at the Polish checkpoint in Zgorzelec.
"We used neither direct force nor means available to the police, as there were 60 children among the refugees," border control spokeswoman Anna Galon said.
She said all the refugees would likely be returned to their camps after police reports have been compiled.
The refugees, who also include residents of the troubled south Russian republic of Ingushetia, have demanded they be given official status as soon as possible and be provided with tolerable food.
WARSAW, December 15 (RIA Novosti)
