Hungary Begins Construction of Border Fence With Serbia

On July 13, 2015, Hungary began building a 4-meter-high razor-wire fence along its 175-km border with Serbia to stop the flow of migrants and asylum seekers during the European refugee crisis. Completed by September 2015, the fence was built using Hungarian Army troops and thousands of workers including prison labor. Hungary later extended fences to its border with Croatia. The fence, combined with the use of water cannons and tear gas at Röszke, drew UNHCR condemnation and placed Hungary at the center of Europe's migration debate.