Hungary declares migrant crisis situation, boosts border patrols

Hungary has declared a migrant crisis situation throughout the country and is increasing border patrols as a result, Hungarian interior minister Sandor Pinter announced here on Wednesday.

Pinter said the move was a precautionary one, coming on the heels of tightened immigration measures by Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia that went into effect at midnight local time. These countries have resolved to apply Schengen rules for all people arriving at their borders, meaning that they will need passports and visas to enter.

How the refugees will respond to this is anyone's guess, Pinter said, but given there are already about 10,000 migrants in these countries who want to travel onward, Hungary has to prepare for growing attempts to break through its fences.

As facilities at the Hungarian border where people can apply for asylum are already full, Pinter said he expected overcrowding and related disturbances.

Pinter said 1,500 military troops were being deployed to the border along with "a large number" of police. Plans were also being considered for building roads to the border regions to make it easier and faster for troops to get around, he said.

Another plan could be to install electric lights along the border, Pinter said, to better spot people wherever they attempt to cross. If need be, he said, they would build camps to hold people apprehended at the border "under appropriate humane conditions."

Asked about Hungary's border with Romania, Pinter said that to date there had been no illegal entries, but Hungary planned to clear-cut the vegetation along the border just in case. If need be, a fence could be built within 10 days, he said, noting that Romania's interior minister had guaranteed that no illegal migrants would be crossing though Romania. Endit