On Monday György Bakondi, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, told Hungarian television channel M1 in its evening programme that some ten thousand people are participating in strengthening Hungarian border protection: police officers and soldiers serving in the area are proving highly effective in preventing violent, illegal border crossings with the necessary technical equipment.
Mr. Bakondi said that in spite of the significant pressure and “active movement” which can be seen at the Hungarian border, there is no way to illegally cross it.
He recalled that last Tuesday Hungarian authorities introduced “in-depth” border protection along the Serbian and Croatian borders. Migrants who are apprehended within eight kilometres of these borders will be accompanied back to a gate in the border fence and will be directed to the nearest transit zone.
He said that from that time up until midnight on Sunday 1,900 people have attempted to cross the Hungarian border; 600 of them succeeded, but were then apprehended and accompanied back to the other side of the fence. The police and the Hungarian Defence Force prevented 1,300 people from crossing the border.
Referring to Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Błaszczak’s announcement that Polish police officers will be arriving at the Hungarian border, Mr. Bakondi said that it is reasonable to rely on the support of the V4 countries – not just in strengthening border protection, but at a political level as well.