PM advisor discussed Hungary-Serbia cooperation against migration in Belgrade

György Bakondi, the prime minister’s chief domestic security advisor, held talks on the migration situation, Hungarian-Serbian security cooperation and other security issues in Belgrade on Friday.

Addressing a joint press conference with István Pásztor, head of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ), Bakondi said his talks had

focused mainly on the protection of the Hungarian-Serbian border, attempts by illegal migrants to breach the border, people smuggling, the situation in Afghanistan, the growing number of Afghan asylum seekers, as well as cooperation between the Hungarian and Serbian authorities.

Bakondi said he had also discussed with his partners the so-called mini-Schengen, a border-free travel and business zone set up by Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia, which he said could boost cooperation among those countries.

Migration pressure is growing on the border,

Bakondi said, noting that police have apprehended a total of 54,907 illegal border crossers so far this year compared with 17,000 at this point in 2020. Police have also arrested 523 people smugglers this year compared with 206 in the same period last year, he added. More than half of all illegal border crossers this year have claimed to be from Afghanistan, whereas before, most of them had come from Syria, Bakondi said.