He added that construction was likely to begin in 10-12 different locations. Interior Minister Sándor Pintér noted that 81,333 illegal migrants had arrived in Hungary this year alone.

He said the government had taken the decision to erect the fence based on “European practices”, adding that it would decide on the technology to use in the construction by next Tuesday. Pintér said the materials used for the construction were being prepared by prison inmates, with the defence ministry responsible for coordinating the project.

The interior ministry may also employ government fostered workers. The minister said the cost of the fence depended on the technology to be used, noting that the government had reallocated 6.5 billion forints (EUR 21m) for the construction. Pintér said the border fence was temporary and would be removed once the migration pressure on Hungary began to subside.

The aim of the fence is to encourage asylum seekers to enter the country legally, he added. Pintér stressed that Hungary complied with international regulations on asylum and would accept genuine refugees.

He said a mere eight percent of Hungary’s migrants were eligible for refugee status. Government spokesman Zoltán Kovács noted that Wednesday was the deadline for returning the questionnaire of the government sponsored national consultation on migration, adding that the vast majority of respondents agreed that the government needed to take more drastic measures to stem the massive flow of illegal migrants.

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MTI photo: Kelemen Zoltán Gergely