The Hungarian and Slovenian police launched a joint patrolling operation on the entire Hungarian-Slovenian border section, and they also supply one another with real-time information on an ongoing basis, the Interior Minister said on Monday at the Rédics-Hosszúfalu (Dolga vas) border crossing point.
Sándor Pintér had a meeting with his Slovenian counterpart Vesna Györkös Znidar and the two countries’ senior police officers on the Slovenian side of the border. After his meeting, he informed the press that they had agreed on launching a joint border patrolling operation.
The Hungarian Interior Minister reported: according to their agreement, the border patrolling operation will extend to the entire border section, and the parties will supply one another with „real-time” information on an ongoing basis in the interest of the management of the migration wave.
Hungary is in a very difficult situation; at the weekend alone, almost 25 thousand illegal migrants crossed the border from the direction of Croatia, and we must prepare for the protection of our borders accordingly. Based on the German Government’s preliminary decision, if the pressure of migration persists at the current level and Austria and Germany fail to open an appropriate route for the onward transportation of illegal migrants, we may even have to close down the Croatian green border, as we did in the direction of Serbia, Mr Pintér said.
The Interior Minister informed the press that his meeting with his Slovenian counterpart on Monday was extremely constructive; no problem of any kind emerged which would call for later attention in relations between the two countries. "I sincerely hope that today’s meeting has dispelled any doubts that may have emerged regarding the police cooperation of the two countries", he remarked.
In answer to a question from a member of the Slovenian press as to why it was necessary to install a wire obstacle on the Hungarian-Slovenian border on a temporary basis, the Interior Minister said: due to the struggle that is ongoing on the Croatian border with illegal migrants, „we had to consider the eventuality that, should illegal migrants change the course of their route", the need may arise for the temporary protection of the border also on the Slovenian border section after prior notification. The Minister reiterated that any Member State may reinstate border controls on the Schengen internal border for a fixed period and for a fixed purpose.
In answer to another question, Mr Pintér said that there is no specific date for the closure of the Croatian green border, but „we have a lot of pressure on us; it depends on how we succeed in managing this illegal flood".
Slovenian Minister of the Interior Vesna Györkös Znidar told the press: the fence temporarily erected on the border „did not jeopardise relations between the two countries”. She added, however, that they had not received timely notification of this measure, but based on later communications, „things started moving in a positive direction". She stressed that both countries must respect EU regulations and the Schengen rules regarding the guarding of the borders.
She highlighted that „we are facing a common problem”, and it is therefore equally important for Slovenia to be informed in a timely fashion of what is going on in Hungary regarding migrants because events in Hungary may have an impact on the situation in Slovenia. Slovenia would find itself in an extremely difficult situation if 10,000 migrants suddenly turned up at its borders, and this is another reason why it is necessary to maintain intensive cooperation with Hungary so that „we can control this flood of migration with joint efforts”, the Slovenian Interior Minister said.
(Ministry of Interior)
