Foreign minister says they are taking action to stop hundreds of thousands of migrants entering the country as EU is 'too slow to act'
Hungary's foreign minister says the government is considering building a 13-foot-high fence along border with Serbia to stop the flow of migrants reaching the country.
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday that the government asked Interior Minister Sandor Pinter to prepare the plan by next week.
"Immigration is one of the most serious problem facing the European Union today," he told a press conference. "The EU's countries seek a solution... but Hungary cannot afford to wait any longer."
Since the second half of 2014, the number of migrants and asylum seekers entering Hungary, mostly across the southern border with Serbia, has risen markedly.
• 'Come to Hungary - we're already working in London' says pro-immigration billboard campaign
• Migration threatens European civilisation, says Hungary PM
• Migration threatens European civilisation, says Hungary PM
So far this year, more than 53,000 people have requested asylum in Hungary, up from under 43,000 in 2014 and 2,150 in 2012.
"Preparation work for the fence should be completed by next Wednesday," he said.
"This decision does not break any international treaty, other countries have opted for the same solution."
Serbia is not yet a member of the European Union, though it has started membership talks, while EU member Hungary is part of the passport-free Schengen zone.
This means that once in Hungary, migrants can travel onwards easily to other countries in the zone.
Last year, Hungary received more refugees per capita than any other EU country apart from Sweden, shooting up to almost 43,000 people from just 2,000 in 2012.
According to official data, 95 percent of them cross from Serbia.
So far this year, some 54,000 migrants have entered Hungary, and the total this year is expected to be up to 130,000, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff Janos Lazar said last Thursday.
The announcement comes amid a anti-immigration campaign by Orban's government involving billboards with slogans such as, "If you come to Hungary, you cannot take Hungarians' jobs."
The cabinets of Hungary and Serbia will hold a summit early July to tackle the issue, Orban said last week.
"Preparation work for the fence should be completed by next Wednesday," he said.
"This decision does not break any international treaty, other countries have opted for the same solution."
Serbia is not yet a member of the European Union, though it has started membership talks, while EU member Hungary is part of the passport-free Schengen zone.
This means that once in Hungary, migrants can travel onwards easily to other countries in the zone.
Last year, Hungary received more refugees per capita than any other EU country apart from Sweden, shooting up to almost 43,000 people from just 2,000 in 2012.
According to official data, 95 percent of them cross from Serbia.
So far this year, some 54,000 migrants have entered Hungary, and the total this year is expected to be up to 130,000, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff Janos Lazar said last Thursday.
The announcement comes amid a anti-immigration campaign by Orban's government involving billboards with slogans such as, "If you come to Hungary, you cannot take Hungarians' jobs."
The cabinets of Hungary and Serbia will hold a summit early July to tackle the issue, Orban said last week.
No comments:
Post a Comment