PM Office: Hungary beefs up border protection

Hungary is deploying more and more troops and border guard personnel to patrol its borders due to an expected rise in migration pressure, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday.

The authorities stopped 430 illegal migrants from entering the country this past weekend, Gergely Gulyás said at a regular weekly press briefing, adding that all sections of the border had seen illegal entry attempts.

The economic fallout of the novel coronavirus epidemic has driven many to try to seek employment in Europe, Gulyás said, warning that the continent must avoid a wave of mass immigration after the pandemic subsides.

He said the European Union could only be effective in tackling illegal migration if it made it clear that it would support all member states in protecting the bloc’s external borders.

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As regards the tourism sector’s prospects for the summer, he said it was worthwhile travelling to domestic tourism spots and urged the public to keep an eye on international travel regulations when considering trips abroad.

Hungary is in favour of reopening its borders with every country that has a similarly low infection rate, Gulyás said, adding that the authorities were doing their best to provide up-do-date information on the status of the epidemic abroad.

Meanwhile, asked if he thought a rise in homicides warranted amending the criminal code, Gulyás denied there had been any such rise, citing statistical data. The government has always favoured the toughest possible criminal justice response, Gulyás said, noting the disagreements Hungary has had on the matter with EU institutions, such as in the case of introducing actual life sentences. He added that almost all killers are apprehended in Hungary.

Concerning wages in the health-care sector, Gulyás noted that nurses will see their wages rise by 72 percent in the current parliamentary cycle.

Though this hike will still not bridge the gap to the average wage in western Europe, it is still the largest increase seen under any government, he said. Gulyas vowed that nurses would still receive a 20 percent wage hike this year in spite of the difficult economic climate. He added that the government was also prepared to conduct talks with doctors on further pay rises once the epidemic has subsided.

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Asked about the lack of air conditioning in the operating rooms of certain hospitals, Gulyas said the government will provide the institutions in question with the financial resources needed to make the necessary upgrades.

Source: MTI