The Hungarian government has confirmed that it will fortify the fence along Hungary’s border with Serbia.
Speaking in the border town of Röszke, State Secretary Bence Rétvári said Hungary is increasing the height of its border fence so that Europe does not have to bring back internal border controls. If Hungary did not protect its border, numerous European countries would have to reinstate checks on their borders, which would not only be an inconvenience when travelling but would also hurt the European economy, he said. Though the fence on the Hungary-Serbia border also protects the security of Europe and Europeans, the European Union has not even reimbursed 2 percent of the 600 billion forints (EUR 1.5bn) it cost to build it, Rétvári said. Hungary, he added, was a net contributor to the EU, arguing that it fulfilled all its payment obligations, while the EU was “using various procedures to block funds we are entitled to”.