Hungary to build fence on Serbian border as fast as possible

Refugees from Syria meet a Hungarian ranger on the Hungarian Serbian border area near Asotthalom, Hungary, Wednesday, June 24, 2015. Hungary’s plan to build a 4-meter (13-foot) high fence along its 175-kilometer (109-mile) border with Serbia to stem the flow of migrants has drawn much criticism from neighboring countries and human rights groups, but even some of them acknowledged that Hungary is facing an extraordinary challenge.

Bela Szandelszky, Associated Press

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Refugees from Cameroon walk across a field on the Hungarian Serbian border near Asotthalom, Hungary, Wednedsday, June 24, 2015. Hungary’s plan to build a 4-meter (13-foot) high fence along its 175-kilometer (109-mile) border with Serbia to stem the flow of migrants has drawn much criticism from neighboring countries and human rights groups, but even some of them acknowledged that Hungary is facing an extraordinary challenge.

Bela Szandelszky, Associated Press

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In this June 23, 2015 picture illegal migrants, were captured in the holm of the Tisza river, near Szeged, 170 kms southeast of Budapest, Hungary. Hungary"™s foreign minister says Wednesday June 24, 2015 the government has decided to build a temporary fence on the border with Serbia as fast as possible to stop the flow of illegal migrants.

MTI via AP, Zoltan Gergely Kelemen

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An Afghan refugee rests on the Hungarian Serbian border area near Asotthalom, Hungary, Wednesday, June 24, 2015. Hungary’s plan to build a 4-meter (13-foot) high fence along its 175-kilometer (109-mile) border with Serbia to stem the flow of migrants has drawn much criticism from neighboring countries and human rights groups, but even some of them acknowledged that Hungary is facing an extraordinary challenge.

Bela Szandelszky, Associated Press

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In this June 23, 2015 picture illegal migrants, who were captured in the holm of the Tisza river, are seen near Szeged, 170 kms southeast of Budapest, Hungary. Hungary"™s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said Wednesday June 24, 2015 the government has decided to build a temporary fence on the border with Serbia as fast as possible to stop the flow of illegal migrants.

MTI via AP, Zoltan Gergely Kelemen

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Refugees from Cameroon walk across a field on the Hungarian Serbian border near Asotthalom, Hungary, Wednesday, June 24, 2015. Hungary’s plan to build a 4-meter (13-foot) high fence along its 175-kilometer (109-mile) border with Serbia to stem the flow of migrants has drawn much criticism from neighboring countries and human rights groups, but even some of them acknowledged that Hungary is facing an extraordinary challenge.

Bela Szandelszky, Associated Press

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Refugees from Cameroon rest on the Hungarian Serbian border near Asotthalom, Hungary, Wednesday, June 24, 2015. Hungary’s plan to build a 4-meter (13-foot) high fence along its 175-kilometer (109-mile) border with Serbia to stem the flow of migrants has drawn much criticism from neighboring countries and human rights groups, but even some of them acknowledged that Hungary is facing an extraordinary challenge.

Bela Szandelszky, Associated Press

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Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, speaks during a press conference in the Parliament building in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, June 24, 2015. Hungary’s foreign minister says the government has decided to build a temporary fence on the border with Serbia as fast as possible to stop the flow of illegal migrants.

MTI via AP, Zoltan Mathe

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BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary has decided to build a temporary fence on the border with Serbia as fast as possible to stop the flow of illegal migrants, the foreign minister said Wednesday.

Austria, meanwhile, reacted angrily to Hungary's announcement that, for an indefinite period, it would not take back refugees it registered when they entered Hungary but left for other destinations in Europe before their asylum requests were decided.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told reporters that several laws needed to be amended before construction of the fence could begin so he could not say exactly when the work on the "temporary border seal" could start.

"In the future, we will apply temporary border seals on every border section where there is no other effective way to impede illegal immigration," Szijjarto said, adding that the government had set aside 6.5 billion forints (20.9 million euros, $23.5 million) for the project.

Szijjarto said the fence, which is opposed by neighboring Serbia, "is not a bilateral issue. Relations with Serbia have never been as good as now."

He said 61,000 migrants had entered Hungary this year, nearly all by crossing Hungary's southern border with Serbia. Most of those who request refugee status in Hungary quickly leave for other destinations in western Europe, like Austria, Germany and Sweden.

Austria's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz told Szijjarto that Hungary's suspension of the agreement on refugees was "unacceptable."

"Austria cannot tolerate this," Kurz said in a phone call Tuesday, warning Szijjarto that the move would have "negative consequences."

Refugees can be returned to the EU country where they first made their asylum request. But Szijjarto said refugees registering for asylum in Hungary had already likely passed through Greece first, so they should be sent back there.

The EU, however, believes the safety of refugees cannot be guaranteed in debt-strained Greece right now so their registration in the asylum system takes place in Hungary.

George Jahn in Vienna contributed to this report.

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