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Hungary to build backup fence to halt migrants

Xinhua, February 24, 2017 Adjust font size:

Hungary looks to build a second fence behind the one installed on its southern borders with Serbia two years ago to prevent migrants from entering the country illegally, an official said Thursday.

Janos Lazar, chief of the prime minister's office, told reporters that the government feared that the number of illegal migrants coming to the country would rise again in 2017.

He did not specify when construction would begin. Some 38 billion forints (130 million U.S. dollars) has been set aside for the construction, Lazar said.

Nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants came to Hungary in 2015, mostly before the first fence was built on its southern border and border controls were tightened.

Despite the fence and the patrols, 18,236 people registered as illegal immigrants in 2016.

While the fences will halt illegal migration, asylum seekers and refugees will be able to submit applications for entry into Hungary. Endit