Hungarian police officers who have been on tours of duty in Serbia and Macedonia have returned home. The contingent was received by Chief Police Commissioner Károly Papp on Friday in Budapest.
In his welcome speech, Chief Commissioner Papp said: “102 illegal border crossers were apprehended in Serbia and 377 in Montenegro during the course of the mission. A total of 385 Hungarian police officers were involved in border control duties abroad this year, while 472 police and border control officers have been at work in Hungary”.
“Thanks to international solidarity and stricter border control measures, border control along the Balkan migration route has seen a significant, qualitative improvement this year”’, he highlighted.
“Eighteen thousand two hundred illegal immigrants have been apprehended trying to enter Hungary so far in 2016. This is 95.4 percent less than last year”, he said.
“Police and military personnel have stopped more than 18 thousand people from illegally entering Hungary and the territory of the European Union since border control activities were made stricter in the beginning of July”, he highlighted.
Lieutenant General Papp noted that activity remains high along the Hungarian-Serbian green border, with 185 people attempting to cross the border on Thursday, for instance.
“Police officers and military personnel have been performing and will continue to perform the protection of the state border with extreme efficiency and tenacity”, the Chief Commissioner stressed.
He also noted that thousands of police and military personnel continue to be on duty along the Hungarian-Serbian border during the Christmas holidays and foreign missions will also continue. Another contingent of Hungarian police will be travelling to Macedonia early next year to support the efforts of local law enforcement services.