Hungary becomes the first country to shut its doors to migrants: Syrian family will be one of the last to enter illegally as the country begins erecting 100-mile-long fence along its borders

Hungary has begun the construction of a 100-mile-long fence across its border with Serbia in a bid to stem the ‘untenable’ flow of migrants entering the country.

So far this year more than 67,000 people, mostly from Kosovo, Afghanistan and Syria, have illegally crossed into the country in a desperate attempt to reach the EU.

And as construction began today on a massive 13ft-high people barrier, a fortuitous family from Syria became one of the last to successfully make the crossing.

Pictures show the Syrian family resting after having crossed from Serbia into the EU bloc’s visa-free zone that begins in Hungary.

Among the group are elderly and young children, all of whom have travelled a massive distance in a desperate bid to escape the war engulfing Syria.

 

They are among the lucky final few to reach Hungary successfully – today military personnel began working on a 490ft ‘sample section’ of the fence designed to stop such crossings.

Located on the outskirts of the town of Morahalom, a bulldozer and other heavy machinery today began preparing the ground for construction. 

The mayor of Morahalom, Zoltan Nogradi, said he had not been told in advance about the start of construction, but welcomed the initiative.

‘There has been no better idea to resolve this untenable situation,’ he said. 

In the face of criticism from Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said Hungary was committed to building the fence, which it claims is a temporary measure. 

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had said earlier the 13ft-high fence would be built first in the eight to 10 areas ‘most exposed to the immigration pressure’ along the 100mile-long border between Hungary and Serbia.

Hungary has registered almost 70,000 migrants so far this year, compared with 43,000 in the whole of last year.

Most migrants travel on to wealthier parts of the EU, but Hungary’s government has said those states might send illegal migrants back to Hungary.

It blocked just such a move last month, provoking tensions with Vienna.

Tens of thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East and Africa, use the Balkans route to get into the European Union, passing from Greece to Macedonia and Serbia and then into Hungary. 

Shelters in Hungary and Austria are overcrowded and late last month Hungarian police used tear gas to subdue hundreds of migrants fighting each other and throwing rocks in a camp in the eastern city Debrecen.

The United Nations and the Council of Europe have criticised changes to Hungary’s asylum laws, saying they would harm asylum-seekers’ right to seek safety there and put them at risk.

The movement of migrants into Europe has this year reached unprecedented levels. So far this year, border crossings into Greece have hit 80,000.

Dangerous Mediterranean Sea crossings into Italy and Malta number 67,000, as has the ‘Balkan route’ through Serbia.

 

 

THE DAILY MAIL