The Hungarian stage of the migration crisis

On the weekend of 5th and 6th September 14,000 migrants crossed the border between Hungary and Austria. This was possible due to temporary measures introduced by the Hungarian government and with the consent of the Austrian and German governments. The wave of migration reached its culmination after the possibility of moving from Hungary to the west had been blocked by the Hungarian authorities. The Hungarian government, which has been preferring prevention of illegal migration, has found itself in a fierce dispute with Germany and Austria. Nevertheless, Budapest has demonstrated the need to abide by EU regulations and has drawn attention to the mounting issue of the protection of the external borders of the Schengen zone.

The 175 km long Serbian-Hungarian border has become one of the EU borders that is most often crossed by migrants. Although in spring the influx of immigrants from Kosovo and Serbia via this route was successfully limited, in summer the wave of migrants from outside Europe increased – above all from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. They are making their way from Turkey, through Greece, Macedonia and Serbia to Hungary in the hope that they will arrive in Western European countries, chiefly Germany. Even following the imposition of radical measures to tighten the border between Hungary and Serbia, the Balkan route remains the most important illegal migration route to the EU.

• Primary Source

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

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