Hungary detains thousands of migrants as border fence is closed

Hungary has detained 16 migrants for illegally crossing the Serbian border fence as it imposed tough new rules to secure its southern frontier and stop the flow of refugees. Authorities erected a razor-wire fence overnight at a railway track used by tens of thousands of refugees to cross into Hungary from neighbouring Serbia, a non-EU nation. Police detained nine migrants who said they were from Syria and seven claiming to be from Afghanistan, the Reuters news agency said. Police also said 9,380 migrants were caught crossing from Serbia on Monday, the highest daily figure this year.

As of midnight we are going to have a new set of rules here in Hungary, concerning the natural borders of the country.

Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs

Hungary says refugees are still able to claim asylum at official border crossings, but if they have entered from Serbia they face automatic expulsion within eight days. Any refugee attempting to enter the country unofficially faces a 12 month to three-year prison term. In Brussels, ministers from the 28-nation bloc have agreed to share responsibility for 40,000 people seeking refuge in overwhelmed Italy and Greece. The leaders are hopeful of reaching eventual agreement on which European nations would take 120,000 more.

We have witnessed an all-time peak in terms of refugee crossings. The real number is going to be close to 10,000, in just one day.

Zoltan Kovacs

Hungary fence Europe