The government does not accept the judgement of the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union about transit zones, and is examining whether their operation is in any way contrary to the Hungarian Constitution, the Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister said on the public service television news channel M1.

György Bakondi highlighted that the transit zone is a well-functioning, tried and tested element of the protection of our borders, the elimination of which would reduce the deterrent effect of the border fence and could even create a situation similar to the 2015 migration crisis.

According to Mr Bakondi, with the lifting of the restrictions on movement, it is possible to observe a significant rise in activity on the main migration routes. At the same time, if Turkey opens its borders to migrants again, the number of those in transit on the Balkans route could increase further and we could expect serious confrontations on the Greek-Turkish border as well, he said.

At present, illegal immigrants are a threat not only to internal security, but equally to public health because there is no way of knowing how many of the 130,000 migrants currently in transit on the Balkans route could be infected with the coronavirus, he added.

On Kossuth Radio’s programme ‘Good morning, Hungary’, Mr Bakondi said the government insists on the present elements of border protection because they guarantee the stability of internal security. Therefore, Hungary will use every legal option to have the court judgement about transit zones reviewed, he stressed.

He also said at present European countries are busy taking measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic and to rise to the challenges caused by the epidemic. In the midst of these efforts, the arrival of illegal migrants in masses and the burdening of the health care system are not desirable, he highlighted.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)