Croatia’s asylum system collapsed on Friday; it was ruined by human traffickers in one day, the Hungarian Government Spokesperson stated at a press conference held in Beremend in Baranya County on Friday evening.
Zoltán Kovács stressed: Hungary has been coping with the refugee problem for nine months, and has proceeded in the cases of 200,000 people. All this time, Croatia has not succeeded in preparing for the situation.
The Government Spokesperson said it is a lie that the mass of illegal migrants who arrived in Croatia and whom the Croatian authorities failed to control were directed towards Hungary as part of a Hungarian-Croatian agreement, and it is also a lie that Hungary provided free transit access for these people.
In addition, a very serious border incident occurred: some one thousand migrants accompanied by forty Croatian policemen arrived in Magyarbóly by train without prior notification. This incident constitutes a border violation, and gives rise to the suspected commission of several crimes, he added. He remarked that an investigation has been launched into the incident, the driver of the train has been detained, and the Hungarian police took action vis-à-vis their Croatian counterparts.
It is unacceptable that an EU Member State fails to observe the European procedure, and in actual fact, assists the continuation of illegal migration, he said.
In Mr Kovács’s words, the fact that the Croatian State and the police bring illegal migrants towards Hungary in an organised manner has one positive outcome: “Over here, we receive them under organised circumstances, and in contrast to Croatia, we ensure the observance of the relevant European protocols”.
We transport migrants from the border as swiftly as possible to locations where they can be registered and where there is access to medical services, that is, to the nearest reception centres in the Transdanubia region which operate as registration points, Vámosszabadi, Szentgotthárd and Körmend, he said.
The Government Spokesperson stressed that Hungary continues to protect its border, and is providing for the construction of the security border fence on the Hungarian-Croatian section within the shortest possible time.
György Bakondi, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister on internal security told the press that 269 illegal border crossers had been apprehended on the Serbian border section on Friday which demonstrates, compared with the more than 9,000 illegal border crossers on 14 September, that the fence provides security for Hungarian citizens and the European Union.
Regarding Croatia, he pointed out that the movements of migration are being controlled by a human trafficking organisation with political approval.
The Chief Advisor said that out of the section of 41 kilometres planned for the Hungarian-Croatian border, 28 kilometres had been completed by six o’clock in the evening, and by midnight the entire section will be completed. 500 soldiers are working on the project. Additionally, they are also continuing the construction of the normal fence, and a transit zone will be created in Beremend.
He highlighted that the defence forces will direct another 700 soldiers to the border on Saturday, while the police will send some 800 police personnel to maintain the security of the border.
Some 2,000 migrants have crossed the border on board 25 buses at Beremend to date, and we may expect the arrival of another 1,000-1,500 people on board a further 25 buses. 1,250 migrants arrived in Hungary via the Gyékényes railway border crossing point, who will be transported onward similar to the procedure employed at Beremend.
Mr Bakondi said regarding the Magyarbóly incident: it is unprecedented that some one thousand migrants accompanied by armed Croatian police arrive in Hungary unannounced.
He stressed: in addition to detaining the train driver, the Hungarian authorities seized the train and disarmed the forty Croatian policemen.
Mr Bakondi reported that some 4,400 migrants have crossed the border to date, and they are expecting the arrival of another 1,000-1,200 migrants.
The uncut version of the event (including the English-language press conference and questions) may be downloaded in the Press Room.