Hungary to strengthen eastern border crossings – UPDATED

With an expected increase in the influx of refugees from Ukraine next week, Hungary must strengthen its border crossing point with Romania at Csengersima, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Facebook on Wednesday night.

The prime minister is staying on the Hungary-Ukraine border for three days to organise preparations for a new wave of refugees. Hungary will deploy more personnel to the Csengersima border crossing, Orbán said, noting that already thousands of Ukrainian refugees were arriving there via Romania daily.

Cross-border traffic at Csengersima is running smoothly, with

police “making strenuous efforts” and the Hungarian Red Cross providing help to those with children,

Orbán said. If the border crossing is strengthened “we will be able to work just as efficiently next week”, he added.

• Read also: Ukrainian refugee dies in Hungary – VIDEO

PM Orbán arrived to the Csengersima border crossing point between Hungary and Romania on Wednesday evening. He was accompanied by government spokeswoman Alexandra Szentkirályi, local MP Sándor Kovács and state secretary for national information József Kovács, was briefed by senior police officers on the situation along the border section and the

growing wave of Ukrainian refugees in the area,

Bertalan Havasi told MTI.

The prime minister then visited the volunteers at the local aid point of the Hungarian Red Cross, Havasi said.

UPDATE (10.44)

On Thursday morning, the prime minister handed over documents granting temporary residency to a refugee family arriving from Ukraine, according to a video posted on his Facebook page. The family with two children is making preparations to travel on to Italy.

Read alsoA Hungarian citizen tried to smuggle out conscripts from Ukraine for 15,000 USD

Source: MTI