Government extends ‘state of crisis’ due to mass migration

The government has decided to extend the “state of crisis” in connection with mass migration in the interest of Hungary’s security and the safety of Hungarians, the government information centre said on Thursday.

The centre said in a statement that the state of crisis was being extended with special regard to the flow of migrants towards Europe from Turkey as well as the security and health risks that came with it.

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“The current migration situation is serious and dangerous for Hungary as well,” the centre said.

A wave of migrants is making its way towards Europe from Turkey, it said, adding that if hundreds of thousands of migrants assembled on the Balkan migration route, Hungary could face a situation at its southern border “even more serious” than the 2015 clashes between police and a group of migrants near Röszke.

Hungary’s government is therefore constantly monitoring the migration situation and strengthening the protection of the borders, which requires extending the state of crisis, the centre said.

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The government ordered the state of crisis in March 2016 and has upheld the measure since.