page_title: Timeline of the European migrant crisis
section_title: April 2016
hierarchical_section_title: Timeline of the European migrant crisis / 2016 / April 2016
caption_attribution_description: The Brennerpass seen from north (Padauner Kogel)
context_page_description: This is a timeline of the European migrant crisis from 2004 to the present. It lists migrant boat shipwrecking events from 2004 to 2015. From 2015 to the present, it also lists events connected with land migration and countries' political reactions related to the European migrant crisis.
context_section_description: 3 April: Hundreds of 'No Borders' activists protested at the Brenner Pass, on the Italy–Austria border, against Austria's plans for stricter border controls. Clashes broke out when activists tried to march into Austria. Some threw stones at Austrian police and tried to break through police lines. Austrian police forced them back with batons, shields and pepper spray. Ten protesters and five police were injured.
  6 April: Migrants protested at the Port of Piraeus in Greece when authorities tried to move them from a makeshift camp to official migrant shelters. One migrant threatened to throw a baby at police after they tried to stop him from smashing a car.
  10 April: Clashes erupted at the Idomeni migrant camp on the Greece-Macedonia border. Hundreds of migrants attempted to break through the border barrier and threw stones at Macedonian police. Police responded by firing tear gas, stun grenades and plastic bullets. More than 200 migrants and at least 15 police officers were injured. A Greek government spokesman called the Macedonian police actions "dangerous and deplorable".
  12 April: Austria began building a fence and registration center at the Brenner Pass on the Italian border. Austria's Defense Minister threatened to shut the Brenner Pass unless Italy stemmed the northward flow of migrants. The EU and refugee agencies criticized the measures.
  15 April: There were clashes between a vigilante group and hundreds of migrants at a makeshift migrant camp outside Stalingrad metro station, Paris. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, and four people were taken to hospital.
  16 April: Pope Francis took 12 Syrian refugees back with him to Vatican City after visiting a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. The three families, including six children, are all Muslim and had their homes bombed during the Syrian civil war. The Vatican stated that Pope Francis wanted to "make a gesture of welcome" to refugees.
  18 April: The Turkish government threatened to withdraw from its agreement with the EU unless the EU grants visa-free travel for Turkish citizens by June. Withdrawing from the agreement would mean that Turkey would no longer take back migrants from the EU.
  18 April: Migrants pelted Greek police with stones at Idomeni migrant camp after a migrant was hit by a police van. Police fired tear gas to break up the crowds.
  19 April: Adverts by the organization 'Refugees Welcome' began being shown to German YouTube users when they search for anti-mass immigration videos. The adverts cannot be skipped and use YouTube's advertising system to target certain search terms.
  20 April: The Swiss government said it had drawn up plans to deploy 2,000 soldiers at border crossings should there be a major inflow of migrants to the country.
  24 April: Austrian Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer, campaigning against mass immigration, won the first round of voting in the Austrian presidential election. Following the result, pressure mounted on Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, of the Social Democratic Party, and he resigned on 9 May. Hofer narrowly lost the final round in December with a record nearly 50% of the vote. Meanwhile, there were further clashes at the Brenner Pass on the Italy–Austria border between 'No Borders' protesters and Austrian police.
  25 April: Norwegian authorities began offering a 'bonus' 10,000 kroner to 500 asylum seekers willing to leave the country voluntarily. The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) said the scheme is less costly than keeping them in asylum centres.
  26 April: There was rioting at the Moria detention center on the Greek island of Lesbos, shortly after the Greek and Dutch migration ministers toured the center. The migrants set bins on fire and threw stones at police.
  27 April: The Austrian parliament passed a law allowing the government to declare a state of emergency should there be another surge in immigrant numbers. The authorities would then only let in refugees under threat in a neighboring country or whose relatives are already in Austria. The "special measures" will also require migrants to
caption: The Brenner Pass, on the Italy–Austria border
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