Long-awaited Shift May Come to EU’s Flawed Migration Policy

A change has begun in the European Union’s migration policy, the Prime Minister’s chief adviser on internal security told M1 news channel on Saturday. According to György Bakondi, this can be inferred from statements made by the President of the European Commission and the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP).

The adviser was asked about press reports that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the protection of the Bulgarian-Turkish border the most important task in the strengthening of the EU’s land borders, while Manfred Weber, leader of the EPP, said that in exceptional cases, fences are needed and that EU support should be provided for them.

According to György Bakondi, Hungary now hopes that these developments would lead to the secure management of external borders, thereby enhancing internal security, and reduce or eliminate political attacks on the Hungarian government over its migration policy. He added that serious acts of terrorism, threats to national security and public safety, serious crime sprees, the strain on the social safety net, and the entry and deportation of large numbers of people of unknown identity “may have prompted policy makers to change.”

The technical border barrier is an important security measure to protect the EU’s external borders and thus the populations of countries with internal borders, in line with the Schengen Code,”

stated Bakondi. He added that so far this year, 10,500 illegal migrants have been apprehended at the Hungarian-Serbian border and 110 human smugglers have been prosecuted.

Meanwhile, in Subotica (Szabadka), on the Serbian side of the Hungarian-Serbian border, the number of illegal migrants seems to have decreased recently. According to locals, this is due to a stronger police response. However, people living near Makova Sedmica (makkhetesi erdő) near the Hungarian border, say the situation there has not improved and migrants are still active in the area, as evidenced by huge piles of rubbish.

Although the Subotica area is relatively calm now, this was not the case two weeks ago. On January 27, there were reports of Afghan and Syrian migrants fighting in Sombor (Zombor) with Kalashnikov rifles and machetes. Two migrants were reportedly injured and one killed in the fighting, although this has not been confirmed. In Serbia, it is not uncommon for migrants to fight each other with weapons, and there have been earlier cases of such clashes resulting in deaths.

Featured photo via Facebook/Bence Rétvári