Fence construction in S Hungary on schedule, says govt spokesman

Kovacs said that the construction, aimed to prevent illegal immigration, was on schedule to be completed by the end of August. Total cost of the project is estimated at 9.5-10 billion forints, he added.

Since the beginning of the year, as many as 107,608 migrants have entered Hungary illegally, Kovacs said.

Concerning two planned reception centres in southern Hungary, Kovacs said that the government was “forced” to take a decision to set up those facilities designed to accommodate 1,000 people each. He added that the temporary shelters would be in use “as long as conditions make it necessary”. He stressed that the shelters would be set up outside residential areas and the government would guarantee security for Martonfa and Sormas, the nearest two villages.

Answering a question pointing to a lack of prior consultations with the two municipalities, Kovacs said that the shelters would be built on state-owned land outside those villages, therefore “the state passed decisions within its own jurisdiction”.

The opposition Socialists slammed the government for its measures and said that the cabinet had “done nothing to resolve the problem but incited fear and hatred”. Though the government had been aware that the number of refugees using Hungary as a transit would multiply, “it spent its time with a deceptive national consultation” and an anti-immigrant poster campaign.

Photo: MTI

Source: www.mtva.hu/hungary-matters