The overhaul of Hungary’s and accession countries’ border control mechanisms will render the borders of Central Europe compliant with the Schengen standards, which are the EU norms and regulations. As for Hungary’s crossings with fellow EU candidates Slovakia and Slovenia, and with current EU member Austria, borders will remain untouched until 2006-2007, when new members are expected to be fully Schengen-compliant.

It’s a tough task for the candidates, who, like Hungary, have been working to put EU mandates – and millions of EU euros – to work at their borders in preparation for accession. Hefty investments have been made in the purchase of night vision binoculars, new vehicles, a fingerprinting system and computer networks connecting the candidates to EU members through a large database.

Central Europe is currently used mainly as a transit region for illegal migrants – a stopping post along the path to wealthier EU nations. In response to tougher border controls, Central Europe has quietly decreased the reported number of asylum seekers and illegal migrants showing up at their doorsteps. But the real work lies ahead, in particular for Hungary, as it shares borders with seven different nations that will account for 15 percent of the EU’s external land border.

Hungary is looking to tighten its border controls as it prepares for EU accession

“Hungary’s problem is its geographical position, each with a different level of risk,” says Thomas Tass, heads of the Budapest office of Vienna-based ICMPD (International Centre for Migration Policy Development), an inter-governmental organization that coordinates border controls in 34 countries in Europe and the Balkans.

There is plenty of evidence to show that, aside from throwing millions of euros at the ten acceding countries, the EU continues should be worried about the control of its external border.

In early November, the European Commission (EC) adopted a proposal for the creation of a new agency that will be charged with stepping up efforts to fight illegal immigration. With a proposed staff of 30, following a seal of approval from the European Parliament, the agency would begin operation in 2005 and support EU states in training their national border guards as well as assist with the return of people illegally entering the EU.

Germany would coordinate joint operations at land borders, Italy at international airports and Spain and Greece at maritime borders.

“Hungary will be the first entry point into the EU for persons transiting through the Western CIS and Southeastern Europe,” says Eduardo Yrezabal, deputy representative at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Hungary.

Hungary Battles Own Problems
Hungary’s biggest eyesore is its 130 kilometer border with the Ukraine, the sum of which is the Tisza River. Although it is one of the shortest borders Hungary shares with its neighbors, it is considered the most problematic for illegal migrant crossings into Hungary.

“We have very dangerous borders with Ukraine and Serbia,” says Krisztina Berta, deputy state secretary for international relations at Hungary’s Interior Ministry.

Hungary tried to curb the problem when it instated visas for Ukrainians last November. Visas also went into effect for Serbia, another problematic border in the southern part of the country.

“It was very politically sensitive, but we were required to do it,” says Berta, adding that the visas were mandated by the EU ahead of Hungary’s accession.
Hungary has spent about EUR 40 million since 1997 revamping its borders. Furthermore, the country is slated to receive EUR 150 million between 2004 and 2006 from the EU to continue renovating its border infrastructure, roads, equipment, training programs and IT systems. Hungary has received the second-highest amount among the EU candidates behind Poland.

Hungary is also working to curb corruption within its own border control ranks. There have been numerous reports detailing how underpaid border guards aid human traffickers in return for cash.

A March 2002 report by the U.S. State Department cited corrupt Hungarian border guards who accepted bribes to look the other way when smugglers crossed a group of aliens.

In some parts of Eastern Hungary, border police knew who the traffickers were, “but are reluctant to pursue investigations for fear of reprisals from the better financed, better equipped, and better armed traffickers,” the report stated.

“Overall, Hungary has done a good job improving the effectiveness of its border system,” says Tass, emphasizing that there was a wage increase for border guards last year. “Border service is still poorly paid, but it’s starting to increase.”

According to the Hungarian Interior Ministry, border violations and illegal crossings have decreased in the past several years. Border violations fell from 13,147 in 2001 to 9,781 in 2002 and 1,441 between January and May 2003. The number of illegal migrants caught by authorities also decreased from 19,717 in 2000 to 16,637 in 2001.

Mired in legislation
Hungary, positioned at the crossroads of Europe, currently accounts for 12 percent of all illegal migration to the EU, says Berta.

“This makes our task quite important. That’s why it is also important to be able to ship back [illegal migrants] to Ukraine or Serbia, if possible.”

Berta refers to the “third safe country” policy, conceived under the 1997 Dublin Convention, which allows EU countries to return captured migrants and refugees to a “safe third country” that he or she passed through before having been apprehended. There he could legally be allowed to apply for asylum. A “safe third country” was a transit nation the EU had declared to be safe and secure enough for handling political asylum requests, whether it was inside the EU or in a neighboring country.

“This is why safe third country laws are vital,” says Berta. “We will be a destination, not just a transit country.”

She adds that Interior Ministry officials expect higher numbers of asylum seekers and illegal migrants to cross into Hungary following its EU admittance.
Hungary also has no integration policy in place for people granted “authorized to stay” permits. While those approved can obtain work permits, the EC said in its latest report that “such persons should also have access to more extensive social integration measures.” Such measures could include language lessons and community involvement programs.

“The government has been implementing a care and maintenance assistance policy that did not lead to the self-sufficiency of refugees,” said Yrezabal. “Integration was not perceived as a policy priority.”

The EC, in its final yearly report on acceding countries before accession, concluded that Hungary was “partially meeting the commitments and requirements for membership in relation to external borders and asylum,” but that implementation and cooperation between various agencies involved in such processes needed to be strengthened. Furthermore, the EC noted, some asylum applicants are detained for up to one year in border guard detention centers while waiting word for answers.

“Handing out permits for people to stay has nothing to do with recognizing someone as an immigrant,” says Tass, who also points out there is no EU-wide policy for handling migration.

“As Hungary moves from a transit to destination country, there is no policy in place on how to handle that. Until there is a final, EU-wide policy, there will be a checkerboard approach to migration, and some places will be more welcoming than others.”

Drivers suffer pre-accession tie-ups at borders
Ahead of Hungary’s European Union accession in May, tie-ups at some border crossings are causing frustration for drivers forced to wait in long lines to clear customs.
“I know we only have four months to go until EU accession, but it will be a terrible four months,” says Péter Rejtő, head of the commercial section at the Austrian Embassy in Budapest.
Officials at the Austrian and German embassies in Hungary say drivers from their countries have been subjected to hours of delay in customs mainly at the Hegyeshalom border crossing between Austria and Hungary.
“We are getting word that the wait is anywhere from two hours up to 12 hours,” says Rejtő, adding that Germany and Austria are Hungary’s biggest trading partners, respectively.
Reasons for delays include a number of Hungarian customs staffers who have been moved to work at Hungary’s borders with non-EU accession candidates, like Romania, the Ukraine and Serbia. Once Hungary joins the EU in May, there will be no more customs checks at borders it shares with fellow EU countries, only at non-EU borders.
In addition to delays, fees drivers must pay to park in the lot at the new customs terminal in Hegyeshalom is costly, says Uwe Heye, economic section head at the German Embassy in Budapest. Both the delays and fees have produced problems “for the vast majority of international haulers and the supply industry that often work under tremendous time pressure,” says Heye. “Many of them are threatened with the possible loss of clients and have to face serious economic problems.”
The Italian Embassy in Budapest, until January, was in charge of regular talks between customs officials from Hungary and EU accession countries as Italy held the EU presidency.
“We know that Hungary is doing much work to be prepared for accession,” says Anna Maria Piantadose, economic section head at the Italian Embassy. “Problems mainly lie with new procedures going into place and people maybe being too careful or technical in their understanding to apply them.”
From May 1, 2004, customs clearance will be mainly carried out via the computer, thereby avoiding long lines at the border, according to Hungarian officials.
“The destination customs office will receive (information) from the border customs office in advance to prepare for the ultimate clearance of customs goods,” says a senior Hungarian official. “This is called ‘pre-arrival declaration,’ a change that is expected to effect customs activities in the near future.”