Hungary Border Fence Success, Balkans Route Down To ‘A Trickle’

The controversial fence on Hungary’s southern border with the Balkans may well have helped slow down the flow of migrants into northern Europe from the record highs reached last year.

But a visit to a newly-opened camp on Hungary’s western border with Austria showed a small but steady trickle of them are still passing through the country on their way north.

And while locals want the camp closed, it is helping to keep the issue in the public eye as Prime Minister Viktor Orban prepares a referendum in which he will ask voters to reject an EU plan to re-distribute migrants across the continent.

The tent camp in Kormend, just 2 km (one mile) from the Austrian border, was opened on May 2 and is a so-called “open-gate” centre allowing its 165 inhabitants to go freely in and out. Those interviewed by Reuters made no bones of how they got there, and where they plan to head next.

“I want to go to Germany,” said Sahed, 18, from Afghanistan, adding he would take the train back to the capital Budapest and from there offer a driver 300 euros to get him to his hoped-for destination.

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