Hungary Will Seal Border With Serbia to Stop Refugees

The Hungarian government deployed nearly four thousand troops to its border with Serbia on Saturday, after announcing Friday that it would seal its border starting next week.

Also on Saturday, far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban called on the European Union to give Syria's neighbors – Turkey and Lebanon – 3 billion in financial aid to help those displaced by the civil war.

The announcement made by Orban comes as the European Union is urging its member states to host thousands of refugees. 

As Orban explained Friday that, starting next week, anyone trespassing into his country will be “immediately arrested.” The Hungarian government has also reinforced its border fence.

 

The soldiers sent to the border will also have the task to complete the 4-meter-high fence, which currently extends along parts of the border. The remaining parts are secured by coils of razor wire.

RELATED: Hungary to Deploy 'Border Hunters' Against Refugees Fleeing War

Hungary has been widely criticized for its mistreatment of thousands of refugees, mostly coming from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, fleeing from conflict in those countries.

“We will not courteously accompany them (refugees) as (we have been doing) until now,” Orban added, disregarding criticisms.

Hours before Orban's announcement, an online video emerged of crowds begging for food in a border camp, as police in surgical masks tossed them packs of sandwiches, an image many on social media compared to feeding animals.

 

Refugees are humans, not animals: Police throwing sandwiches to refugees at the refugee camp in #Röszke, #Hungary. pic.twitter.com/tgv82ZZVYP

— Sakir Khader (@sakirkhader) septiembre 11, 2015

Volunteers from neighboring Austria continue crossing into Hungary to provide relief for the refugees and drive them, after last week activist organized a social media campaign dubbed Convoy Budapest-Vienna.

 

Volunteers are driving from Austria to Hungary to pick up Syrian refugees: http://t.co/uOhVdWuWk3

— AJ+ (@ajplus) septiembre 12, 2015

However, on Friday, the Nickelsdorf-Mikloshalma border crossing in northern Hungary was closed by Austria’s motorway management company (Asfinag).

The closure only applies to vehicles, since the refugees are allowed to enter the country by foot.

Hungary has had to cope with the entry of around 2,000 to 3,000 refugees crossing its border this week.