Austria and Germany will soon return 15,000 illegal migrants to Hungary, he said, adding the number of illegal immigrants in Hungary could reach 150,000 by the end of the year. It is clear that the Hungarian government and parliament should do everything possible to address the issue of migrants, and this is why the government had decided to close the border and file legislation on declaring more “safe countries”, he said.

If a migrant arrives from a “safe country” or “safe transit country”, it can be assumed that it is for economic reasons rather because they are fleeing persecution, according to Fidesz.

A bill being readied for submission by Fidesz lawmakers will contain a list of “safe” countries. Without the fence and such legal measures, Hungary would have to operate “a camp the size of Székesfehérvár,” he said, referring to the city of 102,000 inhabitants in central Hungary.

The government announced on Wednesday preparations for a 4 metre high fence along a 175km section of its border with Serbia.

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MTI photo: Kelemen Zoltán Gergely