"Migration pressure is constantly increasing on Hungary's southern border, which may further intensify ahead of the winter and because of the Middle East conflict," the leader of the Fidesz party parliamentary group said at the border crossing at the Asotthalom border crossing on Thursday. Mate Kocsis added that
as migration pressure increases, so does the risk of terrorism, and that human smuggling has become the most lucrative business along the migration routes.
According to the parliamentary group leader, the proceeds from this activity could be used to finance terrorism, and the migration routes could also be used by members of terrorist organizations to smuggle weapons. Mate Kocsis then spoke about a report prepared by the national security services.
"In the report presented to the Committee on National Security, the secret services reveal facts and serious consequences of migration that every Hungarian should know.
It is necessary to know the risks of terrorism threatening the country and the entire continent," he said, and is, therefore, initiating that the report be made public.
This could happen as early as next week. The politician also pointed out that the security of border guards is in real danger, adding that the primary responsibility of Parliament and the government is to protect its citizens.
The press conference was also attended by the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior. Bence Retvari said that
the people smuggling networks are becoming increasingly more organized and confident.
"The massive incomes involved are a real asset to furthering this," State Secretary Retvari added, putting the amounts paid to people smugglers at between five and ten thousand euros. And if this is the case, then this year alone, the smugglers have already earned more than €1 billion. However, he noted, the real figures could be much higher, as information is not available on each illegal border crossing.
The state secretary also said that
the more money is being channeled into the human trafficking networks, the more organized they become and the more they try to circumvent the already lax regulations of the European Union.
Furthermore, he said, the EU wants to establish migrant ghettos here, on the southern border of Hungary. But we will not allow this, we will protect our borders, Bence Retvari said.
Zoltan Sas, chairman of the National Security Committee, also attended the press conference and said that the committee will meet on Monday, and will then decide on Mr Kocsis's proposal.
