Migrants directed by Croatia towards Slovenia appeared in the direct vicinity of the Hungarian border, at Rédics, on the Slovenian side, on Saturday morning; this is what warranted the temporary reinstatement of border controls in conformity with the Schengen regulations, the Government Spokesperson announced.
Zoltán Kovács reiterated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade contacted the authorities in Slovenia and Brussels to notify them that Hungary is reinstating border controls „on a temporary basis, in a form which is compatible with the Schengen regulations” on the Hungarian-Slovenian border.
This is necessary on account of the events of Saturday morning, and „these measures will remain in force as long as necessary”, the Government Spokesperson said.
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György Bakondi, Chief Advisor of the Prime Minister added: on Saturday morning some 150 illegal migrants arrived on board three buses near the Rédics border crossing station. According to the information requested and received from the Slovenian authorities, migrants are registered there, and none of them entered Hungarian territory. The Government decided to reinstate border controls on the border of the two countries in accordance with the Schengen Agreement in order „to prevent illegal migrants from entering the territory of Hungary” via the Schengen border.
He also mentioned that „no extraordinary incident of any kind occurred” on the Hungarian-Croatian border section in the early hours of Saturday morning, but he reiterated that also in the past they did not typically experience any illegal or organised movement during the night. The border closure implemented as of midnight „is working (lawfully) as tested on the Serbian section”.
The Chief Advisor further stated that 6,353 illegal migrants entered the territory of Hungary by Friday midnight; 23 of them committed prohibited border-crossing on the Serbian-Hungarian border section. 389,779 illegal migrants have been apprehended this year to date, and 176,404 of them submitted asylum claims.
Two hundred and four thousand illegal migrants entered the territory of Hungary on the Serbian section, and some 185,000 via the Croatian border. Criminal proceedings have been instituted against 1,166 human traffickers so far, Mr Bakondi listed the figures.
In answer to a question, Mr Kovács said: Hungary’s expenditures related to the guarding of the borders are increasing continuously. So far more than EUR 200 million (HUF 60 billion) has been spent on border guarding measures, which also includes the costs of the installation of the transit zones and the construction of the security border fence. He stressed: the purpose of the transit zones is to provide an opportunity for everyone who wishes to enter the territory of Hungary or the European Union to do so legally and to seek asylum here, “but evidently, there is little demand for this”.
This, too, clearly indicates that “what we are facing is not a flow of refugees but something of an entirely different nature”. It is mass migration because “illegal migrants are arriving in the territory of the European Union driven by different intentions”, the Government Spokesperson said.
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Mr Bakondi additionally told the press that there are two transit zones on the Croatian section, in Beremend and Letenye, where the staff members of the immigration authority and the government office as well as medical personnel are equally available.
Mr Kovács reiterated in answer to a question concerning the measures contemplated on the Slovenian border section: Hungary is continuously monitoring events in neighbouring countries, and consultations with every State concerned are highly intensive. “The Hungarian police are adequately prepared for protecting the entire Hungarian border section with the necessary means”, within the Schengen borders, by resorting to the options afforded by the Schengen Agreement.
Based on the existing regulations, no security border fence can be built on the Slovenian section, “but we are exploring all options, by means of which we may be able to prevent illegal, undesired and uncontrolled border-crossing”. The Hungarian Government is clearly determined “to protect the Hungarian border as well as the Schengen and the EU borders with all means necessary, thereby putting an end to thousands and hundreds of thousands of people arriving in the European Union in an uncontrolled manner, without identification”, Mr Kovács stated.
(Prime Minister's Office/MTI)
