Everything you need to know about the Croatian − Hungarian border

It is possible that the Croatian – Hungarian border will be closed from this week, but its consequences are unclear. Zoltán Kovács, government spokesman said that the Serbian border will serve as the example – index.hu was informed. According to Kovács, the border will be closed if the technical border (similar to the Serbian one) is finished; this might be done by Monday.

First, GYODA will be built (a type of barbed wire that is fast and easy to assemble), and PM Orbán Viktor wishes to talk to the Visegrad Group and to the Croatian Prime Minister as well. This could mean that the closing of the border might be delayed until Wednesday, when Orbán meets PM Zoran Milanovic on an UN meeting in New York; it is unclear, however, if Orbán waits until the meeting to take action.

The most possible scenario is, according to government politicians, that Orbán will not wait for the others, and the closing rather depends on finishing the technical border in time; it most likely to happen either at the end of this week or at the beginning of next week.

Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs will negotiate with the Czech, Polish, and Slovakian prime ministers on the weekend via phone, foreign affair sources said.

If the Serbian border will serve as an example, then it will affect not only the immigrants, but EU citizens as well, if they wish to cross the Croatian – Hungarian border using their passports or IDs.

So far, it is unclear how it will affect international trains as the ‘green border’ is closed by a wired railway carriage as well, being in the way of the Budapest-Zágráb railway tracks. A gate was built on the Budapest-Belgrade route at Kelebia so the trains could run without being blocked; however, such a gate is not possible at all the routes, if they are closed by a carriage. In this case, trains simply cannot pass the border.

The Hungarian State Railways (MÁV) can only guess what will happen to the Budapest-Zagreb route if the border is closed; the company hopes such a carriage will only be present at Magyarbóly, and gates will be built on the main tracks.

“A fence will be built where it’s geographically necessary” – this is the official statement regarding the fences. GYODA was first built on the Danube-Drava segment – it’s 41 km – but it was soon followed by the technical border; similar borders will be built on other parts of the border as well, said György Bakondi, the PM’s Security Policy Advisor.

The Croatian – Hungarian border is 348 km long, but mostly runs alongside the Danube; the actual border is 90 km.

Since a new law was passed on 15 September regarding immigrants, it is illegal to cross the wire fence even if it’s not damaged by the person who climbs over it. If immigrants cross the ‘green border’ where it’s not protected by wires, it’s an only infringement and they cannot be tried by the court and can only be deported from Hungary, not the EU.

Also, as most illegal immigrants entered Hungary via the Serbian border, only the Court of Szeged has the power to rule over illegal border crossers; however, as the routes have changed and most people enter Hungary via the Croatian border, involving other courts would be the most practical thing to do, rather than transporting everyone to Szeged. This requires a new law, which could only take effect as early as Wednesday.

based on an article of index.hu
translated by Adrienn Sain

Photo: MTI

Source: index.hu