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The Hungarian ambassador in Vienna was summoned to the foreign ministry on Monday, as Austrian foreign minister Alexander Schallenberg announced in Brussels. “We want full clarification here because we think that sends a completely wrong signal,” he said.
The Hungarian government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban had previously ordered the release of thousands of foreign prisoners imprisoned for smuggling. The only condition is that they leave Hungary within three days.
Hungary’s argument that detention of these foreigners is too costly is “in diametrical contradiction to Hungary’s apparently clear line” against smuggling, Schallenberg said. The Austrian Ministry of the Interior had already announced over the weekend that controls at the border with Hungary would be tightened in response to the releases.
Irregular migration via the Balkan route to Austria mainly goes through Hungary. The Austrian police have so far supported Hungarian officials in the fight against organized people smugglers. However, according to the Ministry of the Interior in Vienna, that cooperation is now being tested.
(SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
