Second fence is ready at Hungarian-Serbian border: minister

The second line of a double-row fence alongside the Hungarian-Serbian border has been completed Friday, along all of its 155-km length, said Karoly Kontrat, Hungary's State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior.

"The defence of the Hungarian border is stronger than ever: security has been increased," Mr Kontrat said Friday at the border crossing point of Roszke.

"The Hungarian government has opted for the construction of the second row, because we have to be prepared for a potential large migratory pressure, stronger than ever before," he added.

With the double-row fence completed at our southern border, the safety of Hungarian people is guaranteed for a long time," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also commented on the new fence Friday morning in an interview with Hungarian state radio Kossuth.

"The fence is able to hold back literally any kind of human mass, it is practically impenetrable," the prime minister said.

"The massive migration afflicting Europe has been continuous for the last two years, and the Balkan route is still active," said Kontrat, warning "With the coming of the summer, more and more migrants will start their journey towards the continent."

He also said despite a decision at the last EU summit in Malta to set up hot spots for migrants in Libya, no action has been taken yet, and the number of migrants arriving in Italy from Libya has increased by 33 percent in the first quarter, on an annual basis.

The Hungarian official said that the completion of the fortified fence would enable the Hungarian authorities to decrease the numbers of border guards and policemen working in the area. Enditem