Hungary and Serbia aim to persuade other European Union members to take part in these joint operations the way the Czech Republic and Austria have, Interior Minister Sándor Pintér said.Continue reading
Hungary’s authorities controlled by the interior ministry have been under “enormous pressure” in the recent period due to the coronavirus pandemic and illegal migration, but have performed their tasks “with remarkable success”, Interior Minister Sándor Pintér said at an annual hearing before parliament’s defense and law enforcement committee.
Hungarians are satisfied with the performance of the bodies operated by the ministry, he said.
Citing a survey, the minister said that on a 1-5 scale, 33 percent of Hungarians rated the work of the national police force a 5, with just 11 percent giving it a 2 or a 1 rating.
The authorities registered less than 100,000 crimes over the last nine months and almost 80 percent of criminal cases were solved, “something few other European countries can say about themselves”, he said. Public safety has improved and police are more devoted to their work and more successful, he added.
Turning to migration, Pintér said a total of 101,000 migrants had attempted to enter Hungary illegally so far this year, the highest figure recorded since 2015 when 391,000 attempted to enter. More than 700 human smugglers were also apprehended this year, he added.
The ministry has several plans for strengthening the protection of Hungary’s borders, including “expanding the possibility for armed border protection”, he said.
On another subject, he said those rescued from Afghanistan were being cared for and that the ministry would be working with the churches on aiding the integration of those who want to settle in Hungary.
Concerning the prison system, Pintér said more people were being locked up due to the stricter penalties, and although Hungary’s prisons still guaranteed 4 square meters per inmate, more container prisons needed to be built.
Asked about Covid vaccine mandates at state institutions, Pintér said: “We cannot guarantee the security of the country with sick people.” No one working at a hospital can be allowed to get infected and it would also be a problem if the virus made its way into prisons, he said. The minister added that the vaccination rate within the various units at the police force ranged from 68 to 96 percent.
The operative body responsible for handling the pandemic is constantly monitoring the status of the pandemic, Pintér said, adding that he trusted that hospitals could withstand the pressure as they had during the third wave.
“Given that the situation is getting more serious, there will again be a need for stricter measures, likely at the end of this week or next week at the cabinet meeting,” Pintér said. He added that a project group had been tasked with identifying methods that can reduce the mortality rate of the virus.
In response to a question from Jobbik MP László György Lukács, Pintér said there were more healthcare professionals working at state-run hospitals and outpatient clinics than there had been before the law governing their legal status had come into effect.
Featured image: Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pintér (front) and Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin (back) hold a joint press conference at the temporary security border crossing at the Hungarian-Serbian border in Röszke, Hungary, 15 October 2021. Photo by Ministry of Interior/MTI
