Hungary has erected a razor-wire fence along its border with Serbia, detained over a hundred refugees, and even fired water cannons and used pepper spray on young children. Just in case refugees didn’t get the message, a far-right Hungarian mayor has released a dramatic homemade video warning them against coming to Hungary.
Laszlo Toroczkai is the mayor of Asotthalom, a village near the border with Serbia, which is at the heart of an ongoing humanitarian crisis. While Hungary’s treatment of refugees has been widely condemned, Toroczkai boasts about the number of policemen and soldiers manning the borders. The video shows the guards on motorbikes, in helicopters, and on horseback. These action shots are underscored by a soundtrack that you’d expect to find in a James Bond film.
The video uses drone footage to highlight the length of the border fence Hungarian authorities have built with Serbia—now extended to Croatia—and explains the potential consequences for illegal trespassers. Refugees who are caught damaging the fence or entering Hungary could be prosecuted and face jail time.
“If you are an illegal immigrant and you want to get to Germany, then the shortest journey from Serbia is through Croatia and Slovenia,” Toroczkai says, while showing alternative routes on Google Maps. “Do not trust lying human traffickers.”
At the end of the video, he emphasizes his point to make sure its sunk in: “Hungary is a bad choice. Asotthalom is the worst.”