Hungary is sending new contingents of police to Serbia and Macedonia. Speaking before the 15 and 25-person units at the National Standby Police’s facility on Monday, Chief Police Commissioner Zsolt Halmosi said: “We can expect a significant increase in migration as a result of the easing weather”.

“This is the tenth time that Hungary is sending police units to Macedonia, and the fourth time to Serbia; 385 Hungarian police officers have served along the Balkan migration route to date”, the Major-General said.

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Maj-Gen Halmosi thanked the police officers for undertaking the task and volunteering to help the fight against illegal immigration.

“Migration pressure may have fallen somewhat, but it has not ceased”, he said, adding that “Over the weekend, 239 illegal migrants were turned away at the Serbian-Hungarian border, 33 illegal border crossers were apprehended and 58 illegal immigrants were stopped on Hungarian territory within the 8-kilometre border zone”.

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“We are protecting the Serbian-Hungarian border, but we must make a daily effort to ensure that this remains the case, and for this reason there are thousands of police and military personal on duty at the border, often in harsh conditions”, he said.

Both contingents will be contributing to border protection with police vehicles, night vision equipment and heat cameras.

Hungarian police serving within the territory of Serbia and Macedonia will be performing their duties using their own equipment and will act under the orders and supervision of local police.

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The main task of the Hungarian police will be patrolling in the interests of preventing and discovering attempts to illegally cross the border, in addition to which they will be assisting in the detaining of people smugglers and illegal immigrants. The police officers will be on duty not only in the direct vicinity of the border, but also within the territory of the country along roads and highways.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)