Efforts to Control the Surge of Illegal Migrants at the Hungary-Serbia Border

On Wednesday, the Hungarian government announced that it would equip its forces at the southern border with helicopters, police, and dogs in response to the ongoing influx of illegal migrants into Europe, and would resort to the army if necessary. According to Reuters from the Roske border area in southern Hungary, on Tuesday, September 3, more than 2,500 illegal migrants were detained by the police, and on Wednesday, nearly 1,500 were also apprehended. Meanwhile, a number exceeding these figures entered Hungary from Serbia without attracting the attention of police forces. Reuters reported that the majority of these illegal migrants are from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Reports indicate that nearly all of these migrants and refugees are attempting to reach northern and western European countries such as Germany and Sweden. According to Hungarian officials, since the beginning of this year, more than 140,000 people have entered Hungary from Serbia, with the number increasing day by day, especially in the past month. On average, 3,000 people enter from Greece into Macedonia daily, and from there, they travel northward by train and bus towards Serbia and other countries. As the wave of illegal migrants intensifies, Hungary, currently governed by a right-wing government, has begun constructing a fence along its 175-kilometer border with Serbia to curb this influx. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described these migrants, most of whom have fled the five-year civil war in Syria, as a 'threat to the security, welfare, and identity of Europe.' Hungary is part of the Schengen Area in the European Union, where no passport is required for travel. Currently, it seems that the wave of illegal migrants from the Middle East towards Europe will not cease. In July alone, about 50,000 refugees arrived on the shores of Greece from Turkey, and Serbian officials stated that at any given time, around 10,000 people are passing through their country towards the north. It was previously reported that over 107,000 migrants entered the borders of the European Union in July, a figure that far exceeds the last recorded number and indicates a significant increase in their numbers. The European Union's border agency, Frontex, reported on August 19 that the highest number of entries recorded before this was 70,000 migrants in June. Media outlets have described the recent wave as the worst migration crisis in Europe since the end of World War II. In this context, the Mediterranean Sea has become the 'deadliest' route in search of a better life, with the number of migrants entering the European Union surpassing any previous time.