The complex task of tackling illegal migration calls for complex responses, requiring coordinated law enforcement and border protection efforts, the police chief said. Papp noted that last year Germany, Austria, Serbia and Hungary had agreed to implement joint border protection measures in an effort to manage the migration wave from Kosovo. But the migration situation in Hungary changed dramatically in May 2015.

The government responded to the challenge by tightening migration laws, installing a fence on its border with Serbia and creating a new border patrol unit within its police force, he noted. Papp thanked the countries that aided Hungary’s efforts in managing the migrant crisis, emphasising that the Polish border guard and Slovakia’s police force had been especially helpful in guarding the Hungarian-Serbian “green border”.

Hungary also helped its allies by sending police contingents to Serbia, Slovenia, Greece, Bulgaria and Macedonia, and by providing Slovenia and Macedonia with materials to build their own border fences, he noted. The police chief said it was crucial to observe the Schengen agreement when dealing with migration, adding that migrants must only be allowed into the EU in a controlled manner.

Hungary’s laws are in line with this philosophy, he said. Papp said migration is connected to the threat of terrorism and also affects public safety as well as EU citizens’ sense of safety. He said the abuse of the EU’s asylum system by migrants was a continued problem. More and more asylum seekers want to pick and choose their destination countries and violate EU rules, he said.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.