Ukrainian refugees face tougher border controls in Hungary

Additional controls by the Hungarian border police have led to waiting times of several hours for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.

On Wednesday the Romanian radio station Digi24 reported that there were queues of cars several kilometres long formed at the crossing points of the Romanian-Hungarian border.

However, the refugees were not being turned away by Hungary.

The day before the Romanian border guards said their Hungarian counterparts had officially announced longer waiting times.

Hungary wanted to check those Ukrainians who did not have biometric passports more closely, they said.

The Hungarian authorities announced several days ago that Ukrainians without the correct documents could be stopped at the border and taken away for further questioning.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing to Romania and from there on via Hungary towards Western Europe.

Among them were children who do not have biometric passports, as well as elderly people who normally rarely travel abroad, a dpa reporter observed at the Romanian-Ukrainian border.

Romania issues replacement passports to these people, even before the refugees reach a neighbouring country.

They often have to wait for hours at the Ukrainian border crossings because the authorities of their home country want to prevent able-bodied men from leaving.

At the Hungarian-Romanian border crossings, border police from both countries check documentation together.

Unlike Hungary, Romania is not part of the EU’s border control-free Schengen area.

Earlier, the EU states unanimously decided that the vast majority of war refugees from Ukraine should be granted protection quickly and without complications.