New Hungarian police contingent to leave for Macedonia

Budapest, September 1 (MTI) – A new contingent of Hungarian police is leaving for Macedonia to help halt illegal migration at the Greek border.

The 25-member unit, including two women, was bid farewell by János Balogh, commander of the rapid response police division, in Budapest on Thursday.

Balogh, who also serves as deputy to the national police chief, said that this would be the fifth Hungarian police unit sent to Macedonia. The previous missions were sent based on one-off requests but the Hungarian government recently decided to offer continuous help to Macedonia until the end of this year, replacing the contingents every month.

Macedonia was among the first countries to follow Hungary’s example by sealing its border, which was a clear manifestation of the position that illegal migration must be stopped and the wave of migrants regulated and controlled, he said.

The unit might appears small but its significance is not only symbolic because the Hungarian contingent enables the same number of Macedonian police to spend time with their families, Balogh added. He asked the officers to fulfil their mission in a resolute, professional and humane manner.

Photo: police.hu

Source: MTI