Hungary to build fence on Serbian border to deter immigration

BUDAPEST, Hungary, June 17 (UPI) -- Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced plans Wednesday to build a 13-foot-tall fence to stymie illegal immigration from Serbia.

Saying that Hungary couldn't wait for the European Union to develop an immigration solution, Szijjártó announced during a press conference that officials would design a plan for a 109-mile fence along the border with Serbia.

Some 54,000 immigrants have come to Hungary so far this year, compared to 43,000 in 2014. Police registered 10,000 illegal crossings in January alone.

Kosovo, whose economic situation is deteriorating, has seen many of its citizens migrate to neighboring Serbia and then enter Hungary.

Hungary is part of a passport-free zone that makes it easier to apply for asylum or move to Austria or Germany.

Although Szijjártó said the fence will not conflict with any of Hungary's international obligations, the plan has drawn criticism for being a part of anti-immigrant rhetoric by the Hungarian government.

The government has also put up billboards designed to win public support for new immigration laws. One such message, warning immigrants to not take Hungarian jobs, prompted the United Nations to distribute its own material highlighting refugees who have successfully assimilated to life in Hungary.

Rights groups call the campaign "xenophobic".