Hungarian border barrier

Hungarian border barrier
Déli határzár
 Hungary

The border barrier at the Serbo-Hungarian border

  Border barrier in operation or natural barrier: river (Serbian and Croatian border)
  Planned border barrier (Romanian border)
 Hungary—operator of the barrier
 EU and Schengen member states that assist in barrier operation
 Other EU and Schengen member states
 EU member states not yet implementing the Schengen Agreement
 Non-EU, Non-Schengen states
 Associated Schengen members
Type Border barrier
Height 4 metres (13 ft)
Length 523 kilometres (325 mi)
Site information
Owner  Hungary
Operator Hungarian Defence Force
Controlled by  Hungary
In cooperation with the Visegrád Four:[1]
 Czech Republic
 Poland
 Slovakia
Site history
Built 2015 (2015)
Built by Hungarian Defence Force
Materials Concertina wire
Events European migrant crisis

The Hungarian border barrier is a border barrier that was built by Hungary in 2015 on its border with Serbia and Croatia. The fence was constructed during the European migrant crisis (see timeline), with the aim to ensure border security by preventing immigrants from entering illegally, and enabling the option to enter through official checkpoints and claim asylum in Hungary in accordance with international and European law.[2] The number of illegal entries to Hungary declined greatly after the barrier was finished.[3]

Following an increased influx of migrants into the Schengen Area despite the Dublin Regulation, Hungary stated that the EU was "too slow to act", and started construction of the barrier in June 2015.[4] According to BBC News, "many of the migrants currently in Hungary have been refusing to register there, in order to continue their journeys to Germany before seeking asylum",[5] thus refusing to comply with European law. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán commented: "Our job is only to register them".[5] The barrier was completed in September.[6] Later, Hungary constructed barriers on minor sections of the Croatian border[7] that are not separated by the Drava river.

Serbian border

The border between Hungary and Serbia is 175 kilometres (109 mi) long.[8][9] In June 2015 the Hungarian cabinet approved construction of a 4 metres (13 ft) high barrier.[9] Construction of the barrier began in early July.[10] As of early August, Hungary was on track to complete the fence by the end of the year.[11] The fence, which features concertina wire, is being built by contractors and a deployment of 900 soldiers at a cost of 30 billion forints ($106 million) for the 4-meter (13-foot) fence and the construction of two camps to house asylum applicants.[11]

Border patrol

By mid-August the barrier was taking shape as a double security fence. There is a hastily constructed outer fence made up of three rows of razor wire, scheduled to be complete by the end of August 2015. Inside that, there is a sturdier barrier 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) tall.[12] The slow pace of the fence's construction led to the resignation of Csaba Hende, the Hungarian defence minister, on 7 September 2015.[13] The first stage of construction was started on July 13 and it was completed and the border sealed by Monday, 14 September.[14]

The immediate impact of the fence was to block entry to Hungary to migrants unwilling to apply for refugee status in Hungary, deflecting the flow to Croatia.[15] As Croatia led the migrants to its border with Hungary, Hungary then started the construction of a second fence along its border with Croatia on 18 September 2015.[16]

On September 16, migrants prevented by the new fence by crossing the border near Horgoš, Serbia, and Röszke, Hungary, reacted by surging forward and pushing or tearing away a section of the new fence. Hungarian riot police responded with tear gas, causing the migrants to fall back, then regroup and surge forward again, only to be met by another round of tear gas canisters and with water cannon. At this point some of the migrants began tearing apart a decayed structure, to obtain chunks of concrete which, along with rocks were hurled at police as other rioters built debris fires, filling the air with smoke. The riot subsided as word spread the Hungarian police had opened a nearby gate, but as 200 or 300 migrants walked through the newly opened gate, Hungarian police "surged forward", swinging batons and firing tear gas into the crowd of migrants.[17][18]

Hungary was widely criticized for its use of tear gas and water cannon against migrants attempting to enter the country.[19] Hungary commented the border security: "the official and legal ways to come to Hungary and therefore to the European Union remain open. That's all we ask from all migrants - that they should comply with international and European law".[20]

In April 2016, Hungarian government announced construction of reinforcements of the barrier, which it described as "temporary".[21] In July 2016, nearly 1,300 migrants were "stuck" on the Serbian side of the border.[22] In August 2016, Orbán announced that Hungary will build another larger barrier on its southern border.[3]

Croatian border

On 16 October 2015, Hungary, dissatisfied with EU efforts to coordinate border control, announced that it had completed the fence along the 348 km (216 mi) border with Croatia and would close the border at midnight.[23][24] Since 17 October onwards, thousands of migrants daily were diverted to Slovenia instead.[25]

Slovenian border

On September 24, 2015 Hungary began building fence on its border with Slovenia, in the area around Tornyiszentmiklós-Pince border crossing.[26] The razor wire obstacle was removed two days later.[27]

Romanian border

In mid-September 2015, Hungary was considering a barrier on part of Romanian border in case of shift of migrant flow through this area.[28]

As of March 2016, everything's ready if Hungary should build a border barrier on the Hungarian-Romanian border as well - the military is "only waiting for the command from the government".[29]

Impact on the number of illegal migrants entering Hungary

Attempted border entries have fallen tremendously since the barrier was constructed. During the month of September 2015 there was a total number of 138,396 migrant entries, and by the first two weeks of November the average daily number of intercepted migrants decreased to only 15, which is a daily reduction of more than 4,500.[30]

Number of illegal migrants entering Hungary since 2015
2,500
5,000
7,500
10,000
12,500
15,000
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Number of illegal migrants entering Hungary since 2015, monthly breakdown
Month Number of migrants
2015-01
14,647
2015-02
17,384
2015-03
5,975
2015-04
8,224
2015-05
11,606
2015-06
19,546
2015-07
38,059
2015-08
57,938
2015-09
138,396
2015-10
99,497
2015-11
315
2015-12
270
2016-01
553
2016-02
2,398
2016-03
3,412
2016-04
3,946
2016-05
3,463
2016-06
3,768
2016-07
573
2016-08
348
2016-09
152
Source: Police.hu - Border information

Environmental impact

Lesser mole-rat (pictured on a Hungarian stamp) and other terrestrial species are endangered by the barrier.[31]

According to a correspondence published in Nature journal, the border barrier can entangle animals in razor wire and endangers wildlife by blocking animal migration, jeopardizing connectivity of species populations by habitat fragmentation.[32]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Official: V4 countries to contribute police for protection of southern border". Daily News Hungary. 15 October 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Migrant crisis: Hungary's closed border leaves many stranded. BBC News. 15 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 Hungary's PM plans 'more massive' fence to keep out migrants. theguardian.com. 26 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Nolan, Daniel (17 June 2015). "Hungary orders 100-mile Serbia border fence to keep out migrants". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  5. 1 2 Migrant crisis 'a German problem' - Hungary's Orban. 3 September 2015.
  6. ↑ Refugees 'exhausted' after Serbia-Hungary border closes. BBC News. 14 September 2015.
  7. ↑ Migrant crisis: Neighbours squabble after Croatia U-turn. BBC News. September 19, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Hungary sends police to deter migrants on Serbia border". BBC. 18 August 2015.
  9. 1 2 Feher, Margit (17 June 2015). "Hungary Plans Security Fence on Serbia Border to Keep Out Migrants". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "Hungary Begins Building Serbia Border Fence to Curb Migrants". Wall Street Journal. AP. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  11. 1 2 Feher, Marghit (5 August 2015). "Hungary Plans to Soon Complete Fence to Limit Migrants". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  12. ↑ Feher, Marghrit (18 August 2015). "Hungary Deploys 'Border Hunters' to Keep Illegal Immigrants Out". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  13. ↑ "Hungary's defense minister resigns amid migrant chaos". Deutsche Welle. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  14. ↑ Samuels, Robert (14 September 2015). "From west to east, Europe tightens borders as refugees scramble". Washington Post. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  15. ↑ Mullen, Jethro (17 September 2015). "Migrant crisis: Thousands overwhelm Croatia". CNN. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  16. ↑ "Hungary starts building fence on Croatian border". Deutsche Welle. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  17. ↑ Lyman, Rick (16 September 2015). "Migrants Clash With Police in Hungary, as Others Enter Croatia". New York Times. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  18. ↑ Radovanovic, Radul (17 September 2015). "Chaotic border scrums as Croatia becomes migrant hotspot". Seattle Times. AP. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  19. ↑ Feher, Margit (16 September 2015). "Hungarian Police Fire Tear Gas at Migrants, as More Opt for Route via Croatia". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  20. ↑ Migrant crisis: Hungary declares emergency at Serbia border. BBC News. 15 September 2015.
  21. ↑ http://www.kormany.hu/en/ministry-of-defence/news/reinforcement-of-temporary-security-barrier-starts-on-the-hungarian-serbian-border
  22. ↑ Migrant crisis: UN criticises Hungary over border controls. BBC News. Published on 9 July 2016.
  23. ↑ "Hungary to Close Border With Croatia". Voice of America. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  24. ↑ Lyman, Rick (16 October 2015). "Hungary to Close Its Border With Croatia in Migrant Crackdown". New York Times. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  25. ↑ Barbara Surk and Stephen Castle (17 October 2015). "Hungary Closes Border, Changing Refugees' Path". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  26. ↑ A szlovén határnál is készül drótakadály Híradó, September 24, 2015 (in Hungarian)
  27. ↑ Tekercsekben áll a lebontott drótakadály a magyar-szlovén határon Blikk, September 26, 2015 (in Hungarian)
  28. ↑ Hungary preparing to extend border fence towards Romania. Reuters.com. Sep 15, 2015.
  29. ↑ It is possible every time that Hungary starts to build the fence on the Romanian border. nol.hu, 05 March, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Elfogott migránsok száma - dátum szerinti lekérdezés". A Magyar Rendőrség hivatalos honlapja (in Hungarian).
  31. ↑ http://www.small-mammals.org/newsvojvodina-blind-mole-rat/
  32. ↑ John D. C. Linnell. Border controls: Refugee fences fragment wildlife. Nature 13 January 2016.

Coordinates: 46°06′00″N 19°24′00″E / 46.1000°N 19.4000°E / 46.1000; 19.4000

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