Interior Minister Sándor Pintér held negotiation in Vienna with Austrian Federal Minister of the Interior Johanna Mikl-Leitner and Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic on common fight against illegal migration.

There has been a significant increase in the number of illegal migrants apprehended in Austria and Hungary in the second half of 2011. The majority of these people are citizens of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Somalia, Iran, and Iraq who have been smuggled into the European Union under inhuman conditions in converted buses, lorries or cars. A number of measures have been taken involving Hungarian, Austrian and Serbian authorities and in addition EU agencies (Europol, Frontex) to confront the phenomenon.

According to earlier statistics comprehensive and coordinated measures and common action have lead to significant results. Action against illegal migration is an ongoing priority issue of EU Interior Ministers’ meeting therefore an EU road map have been accepted by the ministers in June.

(Ministry of Interior, Press Office)