Gunshots, taxi drivers carrying migrants – situation report from the Serbia-Hungary border + videos

The sound of gunfire almost an everyday occurrence in border towns. There is a constant police presence due to migrants.

20221104 szerbia migransok havran zoltan magyar nemzet Fotó: Havran Zoltán

In the autumn, armed migrant gangs clashed in Horgos, also near the border. Videos of the incident were also published by Magyar Nemzet.

The video, taken in the center of the village, shows migrants fleeing while shots are fired. Another recording shows hooded men toting machine guns marching in the residential area of Horgos.

 

By taxi to the border

Earlier, migrants used to reach the border fence mainly on foot or using local buses. Today, the majority travel by taxi. They have no problem with the fact that the trip of a few kilometers is well overcharged by the taxi drivers. The police checks also leave both the migrants and the taxi drivers unruffled.

Amateur videos obtained by Magyar Nemzet show as illegal immigrants get into taxis in broad daylight, in the center of the town, near a church and a playground.

The parking lot of a German retail chain is also a favorite starting point for migrants heading for the forest: they shop for groceries, then get a lift and head for the fence.

In the last few days, police in Subotica and neighboring Palic have detained 403 migrants. All of them were transferred to the reception center. Only one person was arrested, a 59-year-old man from Pristina, suspected of human trafficking. Six undocumented persons were found in his apartment. According to a statement from the police in Subotica, the authorities will continue to regularly monitor the movement and whereabouts of migrants in order to ensure the safety of locals.

In recent weeks, checkpoints have also been set up on routes frequently used by migrants, such as grass-covered roads leading to the forest. At these checkpoints, the officers control passing traffic, especially taxis. District chief Bojan Soralov says the measure is effective and gives cause for optimism. In a Facebook post early July, he wrote:

The preventive work and the checkpoints are yielding positive results. Residents said that they feel safer. Their concerns, however, are well founded. We are still not satisfied with the attitude of some taxi drivers, but there has been a positive change in this respect too.

Meanwhile, the Serbian government has adopted a response plan, that was necessitated by the "increased number of migrants.” According to the document, the country will prioritize putting an end to people smuggling and illegal migration, and will step up border controls, while providing protection to those who have formally applied for asylum.

Cover photo: migrant camp at Horgos, Serbia (Photo: Zoltan Havran)