No order to shoot at migrants on southern border, say govt spox

Budapest, June 22 (MTI) – Hungarian border patrols will not be given any order to shoot at illegal immigrants along the fence to be erected on Hungary’s southern border, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told daily Magyar Hirlap on Monday, calling the related rumours “groundless and malevolent” speculation.

In a move to stem the massive flow of illegal immigrants, the government announced preparations for a 4-metre high fence along a 175-kilometre section of its border with Serbia last Wednesday.

All the restrictive measures will be taken with due observance of the related European and domestic rules, the spokesman said.

Hungary will not have to amend any of its laws, only guarantee the means for enforcing them, he said.

Kovacs admitted that the border fence would not solve the problem of illegal immigration, which can only be settled through joint European efforts, but added that the government had “no other option” to respond.

He said that the Serbian leadership had reacted harshly but the interior ministers and the heads of the authorities are in permanent touch with one another and the Hungarian officials had explained the motives for decisions.

The details will “definitely” be discussed during the Serbian-Hungarian summit in early July, the spokesman said.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters