The number of illegal border crossers is constantly increasing. In 2022 alone, Hungary’s border authorities apprehended 269,254 migrants, an average of 738 people a day; this is compared to a daily average of 335 last year, said György Bakondi, PM Orbán’s chief security advisor, in a press conference earlier today.
These skyrocketing numbers are no surprise, as authorities and researchers registered tremendous growth in 2021, amounting to a whopping 224 percent rise in unlawful border crossings versus 2020 — just on the Western Balkan route.
The results are chilling, and their effect is clear. Hungary continues to see a steady increase in the number of illegal border-crossing attempts, as the country continues to be the main destination for those arriving in Europe through the Balkans. On top of this, Hungary is probably the only country in Europe that has to cope with dual migration pressure, from the south and from those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Those arriving here are mostly undocumented groups of young men, typically assisted by people smugglers. Dangerous, internationally wanted criminals have also appeared in the region committing violent acts, including armed border crossings; they have additionally brought criminal activities such as gang violence and terrorism closer to Hungarian soil.
These festering symptoms of the global migration crisis have resulted in violent attacks against Hungarian police and army officers serving near the Serbian border. A total of 265 cases in 2022 left 12 police officers and 29 soldiers injured.
Aside from the harm and trauma caused to our personnel, migrants were involved in 169 cases that resulted in damage to vehicles and another 43 cases where technical equipment was impaired.
All the above happened just last year — and only in Hungary.
This is the reason why more and more governments in Europe are thinking and acting like Hungary, working together, and doubling efforts to combat this form of criminality and all who benefit from it.
Around 2,500 human traffickers are spending jail time in Hungarian prisons thanks to the work of the military, police personnel, more than 500 private armed security guards, and nearly 13,500 local volunteers involved in border surveillance tasks.
The number of foreign troops on the Serbian border has also increased, including 70 police officers from Austria, 50 from Turkey, 237 from the Czech Republic, and 39 from Slovakia. Furthermore, there are ongoing negotiations to further strengthen cooperation.
We Hungarians are dedicated, we are vigilant, and we firmly believe that together with our European allies, we can defend the sovereign borders of our countries from these criminal elements, whatever altercations may arise with the pro-migration circles of the leftist elite. And it is our duty to do so.