Chief Security Advisor György Bakondi said Hungary has prevented just over 54,000 people from crossing the border illegally so far this year, and has prosecuted more than 500 people smugglers.
Bakondi told public broadcaster M1 that this is a huge increase from the same period last year, when 17,000 illegal immigrants were caught by the police and 200 people smugglers were prosecuted. “People smuggling is a thriving business,” he said. He also referred to the situation on the Belarus-Lithuania border, noting that European home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson recently visited Lithuania and, “departing from the usual stance” of Brussels, had encouraged countries to guard their borders properly.