Hungary is currently facing a surge in illegal migration, after security forces apprehended over 49,000 irregular border crossers and about 387 people smugglers this year alone.
According to the international communication office of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s office, about 12 percent of inmates in Hungarian prisons — a total of 2,048 people from 73 countries — are being imprisoned for human trafficking and related offenses.
Hungary’s Security Chief György Bakondi hinted that the number of human traffickers caught pales in comparison to the number of those still out there as masterminders of Hungary-bound trafficking rackets.
“They are the people on the edges, the real big criminals who are the movers of the networks don’t come even close to the border, and they cannot get caught,” he said
Bakondi also noted that the Hungarian state is deeply and fully up in the fight against human trafficking, and is open to bilateral collaboration to work towards controlling its national borders and enhancing its internal security.
According to the Security boss, the Hungarian government is making efforts to collaborate with Frontex, the EU’s agency responsible for border control, alongside cooperative initiatives with neighboring Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria.
In spite of the absence of financial or legal support from the EU as well as from high-profile European leaders such as the German chancellor, the President of the European Commission, and the leader of the European People’s Party, the Hungarian authorities have been able to reduce irregular migration through the Balkan route by 26 percent in the first quarter of 2023 compared to that of 2022.
This feat is due to the strengthened protection of Hungarian borders.
As the European parliamentary elections approach, it is projected that migration will be a big determining factor during the elections owing to these recent events in the Hungarian migration corridor.
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