Hungarian government wants firm action against people smugglers

People smugglers operated by organised crime rings pose a threat to the safety of the whole of Europe, and firm action must be taken against them, the state secretary of the interior ministry said at a farewell ceremony to Hungarian police contingent on Tuesday.

The first contingent of Hungarian police officers was dispatched to serve on the southern borders of Serbia in January in framework of a Hungarian-Austrian-Serbian partnership mission, Bence Rétvári said, sending off the latest group of officers.

The mission is aimed at reinforcing protection efforts against illegal migration and human smuggling, he noted. Smuggling migrants to western Europe has become a major source of revenue in organised crime, Rétvári added.