Army ready to manage migrant situation, says chief of staff

Budapest (MTI) – The Hungarian Armed Forces are ready to fulfil their duties pertaining to illegal migration, chief of staff Tibor Benko told MTI on Monday.

Benko said the army is prepared to carry out new tasks defined in the amended defence law such as police tasks or adopting new strategies related to hybrid warfare.

Benko noted that soldiers and police had conducted joint patrols in the past, as prescribed by past defence laws. Troops took part in riot control exercises in the past, too, and performed such tasks in missions abroad, he added.

He said the amendments to the defence law do not affect the conditions under which the soldiers have the right to use their weapons.

On the topic of calling up some 500 volunteer military reservists to help deal with the migrant crisis, Benko said the move was “in no way unusual”, noting that more than 1,400 volunteers were called up to assist with flood protection efforts during the flooding of the Danube in 2013.

He said there are usually more than 100 volunteers on active duty, or even up to 500 during military exercises, meaning that the defence force is not planning mass call-ups.

Hungary has no plans to restore mandatory military service, Benko said.

The chief of staff noted that volunteers will primarily be used to substitute soldiers who have been deployed to the border, adding that they will be tasked with duties appropriate for their level of training.

Hungary’s defence force has over 5,500 reservists.

Defence Minister Istvan Simicsko said last week that a total of 4,300 soldiers have served along Hungary’s southern border since the migrant crisis broke out.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters