Hungary's foreign minister says the European Union needs to wrest back control of its borders, dismissing as "hypocritical" criticism of his country's construction of a border fence to tame the flow of refugees. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Thursday after talks with his Cypriot counterpart that Hungary built the fence with Serbia to comply with EU rules on the movement of people and goods. Szijjarto also said fellow EU foreign ministers couldn't offer an alternative when challenged, adding "this kind of hypocritical behavior should be forgotten in Europe." A top U.N. health official says refugees sleeping outdoors or in cold shelters "are more prone to suffer from hypothermia, frostbite" and other health problems. In a statement Thursday she urged health authorities in Europe to make sure to detect and treat the migrants' cold-related diseases as winter approaches. Hungary's foreign minister says the international community must significantly ramp up its fight against the Islamic State group in order to stem the flow of people fleeing conflict in the Middle East and heading to Europe. In recent weeks, Sweden has seen a spate of arson attacks on asylum centers or buildings as an influx of refugees has surged. Sweden's national police said they are coordinating the arson investigations and will use helicopters with infrared cameras in an attempt to find suspects. A Swedish mayor says a standoff continues with 14 asylum-seekers who are refusing to move into fully equipped chalets in a remote and cold part of Sweden where they have been told to stay while their asylum applications are processed. At first light Thursday, a helicopter from the European border protection agency Frontex joined the search by Greek coast guard vessels off the northern coast of the island, hours after the dramatic rescue of 242 people. At least 11 people — mostly children — died in five separate incidents in the eastern Aegean Sea on Wednesday, as thousands of people continued to head to the Greek islands from Turkey in frail boats and stormy weather. In a dramatic scene late Wednesday, dozens of paramedics and volunteers helped in the effort to assist the survivors, wrapping them in foil blankets and prioritizing ambulance transport.
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