Hungary completes second border fence to keep migrants out

TMP – 13/05/2017
Hungary has finished the building of a second fence on the border with Serbia, aimed at keeping migrants out of the country. The fence runs for 155 kilometers and is equipped with alarms and thermal imaging cameras.

Visiting the new fence near the border town of Roszke on 31 April, Interior Ministry State Secretary Karoly Kontrat underlined that the protection of Hungary’s borders is now stronger than ever. “By defending its borders, Hungary is also defending the Schengen Zone,” he said.

“The government decided to build the second fence because we need to be prepared for a migratory pressure which could be even bigger than it has been until now. The mass migration afflicting Europe has been constant for the past two years. The Balkan route is invariably active and, as the summer approaches, a growing number of migrants are heading towards Europe,” Kontrat added.

Hungary has recently tightened a number of its asylum policies. Those seeking asylum can only do so in two border zones, and under a recent law migrants have been detained and held in shipping containers.

Hungary’s tougher border control is reducing the number of migrants entering the country.  Authorities say that since the beginning of the year only 165 people have crossed the border “illegally”.

Construction of the second border fence started in March this year. It complements other fences Hungary built on its southern borders with Serbia and Croatia in late 2015.