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The threat posed by migration has not gone away, says Hungarian official

Interior ministry state secretary, Károly Kontrát told a session of parliament’s defense and law enforcement committee that the Balkan route is still active, with 70,000 migrants making their way to Europe through it

A Hungarian official has said that the threat posed by migration has not gone away.

Interior ministry state secretary, Károly Kontrát told a session of parliament’s defense and law enforcement committee that the Balkan route is still active, with 70,000 migrants making their way to Europe through it.

Kontrát said there are currently 14,000 migrants waiting to continue their journey in Greece, adding that a further 4 million people are on a standby in Turkey.

The state secretary said Hungary is one of the safest countries, thanks in large part to the imposition of a state of emergency linked to the crisis of mass migration. Kontrát argued that the state of emergency should therefore be extended.

Police chief János Balogh told the committee that whereas in 2018 there was a daily average of 18 attempts at illegal entry into Hungary, this has increased to an average of 27 in 2019. He said this means migration is on the rise.