Budapest, September 11 (MTI) – The first migrants to arrive at a newly opened registration point in Kormend, in western Hungary, left for Austria on foot after just a few hours, the town’s mayor said on Friday.
Istvan Bebes of the ruling Fidesz party told a press conference after an extraordinary meeting of council representatives that 80-90 migrants arrived by bus early in the morning and left on foot after taking some food, drink and a few hours’ rest.
He said they were likely heading to the border crossing of Pinkamindszent or other small regional crossings to Austria, he said. Police are monitoring the movement of the group and helping them, he added.
A local MTI correspondent said there were currently no migrants in Kormend, and a larger group has already reached Pinkamindszent, where they were given food by charity organisations.
The interior ministry opened the new registration point for illegal migrants at the site of the police secondary school in Kormend on Thursday.
Bebes said he had been informed by the ministry of its plans to set up a temporary reception point with a capacity to accommodate up to 600 people.
The radical nationalist Jobbik party is holding a demonstration in Kormend on Friday evening to protest against the migrant camp in the local school, head of the party’s local constituency Tibor Bana said. He told a press conference that Jobbik does not want to see migrants in Kormend. The party is concerned for the town’s law and order and locals’ safety, adding that it was also reason for concern that locals had not been informed in advance about plans to set up the camp. Bana insisted a local referendum should have been held.
Photo: MTI