Hungary's Razor-Wire Fence Fails to Contain Migrant Flow

Strategic Insights -

As Mohanad, a Syrian refugee, walked down an abandoned railway line from Serbia to Hungary, he was met with a surprise: a barely 2-meter-high razor-wire fence that he found easy to traverse. Thousands of others discovered the same thing on Sunday, pouring across a border that Hungary's nationalist leader, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has threatened to make impregnable in just nine days. The scene revealed how difficult it will be to clamp down on a jagged 110-mile border that runs through forests and farms, with no natural geographic boundaries to separate one country from the other. Despite Orban's bluster, the flow of migrants continues, with over 1,000 men, women, and children launching a spontaneous march to the Austrian border that forced the government into an abrupt late-night retreat. The prime minister has vowed to close the migrant route from Serbia into Hungary by September 15, but his attempts to do so have backfired, leading to international condemnation for erecting the fence and drawing calls for further action.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 1,000 men, women, and children launched a spontaneous march to the Austrian border, forcing the Hungarian government to retreat, after Orban attempted to block migrants from leaving the country without registering with authorities.
  • Despite the razor-wire fence, thousands of refugees continued to cross the border on Sunday, with the number of arrivals surging in recent days.
  • Orban's plan to close the migrant route from Serbia into Hungary by September 15 has been met with international condemnation, with critics arguing that the measures will not stem the flow of migrants.
  • The Hungarian government has announced plans to ram legislation through parliament that would impose stiff prison sentences on anyone who damages the fence or crosses it illegally.
  • Orban has vowed to support sending in the army to enforce the new law, claiming that Europe will be overwhelmed by "tens of millions" of migrants if strict controls are not put in place.
  • The registration center in Hungary, with a capacity of 1,000, was opened for the first time on Sunday, and is currently being used to house refugees while police run criminal checks.

Statistics:

  • Over 1,000 men, women, and children marched to the Austrian border in response to Orban's attempts to block migrants from leaving the country without registering with authorities.
  • Thousands of refugees continued to cross the border on Sunday, with the number of arrivals surging in recent days.
  • The razor-wire fence is barely 2 meters high, and is seen as an inadequate deterrent by many refugees.
  • Orban has vowed to close the migrant route from Serbia into Hungary by September 15, but his measures have been met with international condemnation.
  • The Hungarian government has announced plans to impose stiff prison sentences on anyone who damages the fence or crosses it illegally.

Sources:

  • Griff Witte, "Hungary's Razor-Wire Fence Fails to Contain Migrant Flow", The Washington Post
  • Erno Simon, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Szabolcs Szenti, police spokesman for the Hungarian government
  • Andras Petho, contributor to The Washington Post