The Manchester attack has opened a new chapter in the history of terrorist acts in Europe; this is the first time that children were targeted, he said.

Hungary does not need to raise its terrorism alert to a higher level but will take steps to beef up security at major events, he said. All EU member states must be able to defend their borders, he said.

Given the current security situation, it would be inadmissible to allow anyone into Europe without verification, Lázár added. Europe’s borders should be controlled more tightly and, in certain cases, even their closure might be warranted, he said.

Answering a question concerning the current NATO summit in Brussels attended by US President Donald Trump, Lázár said no bilateral meeting was scheduled between Trump and Orbán.

Concerning migration, Lázár said he expected increased pressure on Hungary “to accommodate a couple of hundred or a couple of thousand refugees”. But “if the gates are open” the consequences could be unpredictable, he added.

Migration is a risk factor for European security, and the greatest risk of terrorism is “uncontrolled, unlimited migration”, he said.

The Hungarian government insists on keeping the country’s borders closed, applying the strictest checks on new arrivals and not allowing free movement in Hungary, Lázár said.

There are currently some 300 asylum seekers waiting in the transit zone, he said, adding that the migration pressure on Hungary’s borders had eased.

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

MTI photo Szigetváry Zsolt