Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Antal Rogán, leader of the political party Fidesz, have called for tightening immigration laws in their country, the website budapesttimes.hu reports.
In an interview late last week, Orban said that all those who are trying to enter Hungary illegally should be taken into custody.
"If there isn't a law which allows them to be detained and deported back immediately then Hungary will become an asylum camp," Orban warned.
He was echoed by Antal Rogán, who said that the illegal immigrants should be kept under arrest until it is determined whether they are entitled to refugee status.
"In case they are not entitled to refugee status they must be immediately expelled from the country," Orban said.
He described illegal immigration as a “burning problem” in Hungary, and asked the government to organize a “national consultation” on the topic in order to give full power to Parliament to modify the immigration law.
Rogán said that “Hungary is putting its Schengen membership at stake” if the country’s legislators fails to resolve the issue as soon as possible. He added that each refugee living in government-provided housing costs the state HUF 4,500 per day.
Meanwhile, police have launched proceedings in the case of 668 illegal migrant workers who entered southern Hungary from Serbia earlier this month.
The migrants, who include 630 Kosovars, 18 Afghans, ten Syrians, four Malians, three Bangladeshis, two Pakistanis and one Iraqi, have lodged asylum requests, which are due to be handled by Hungary’s immigration authority.
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