In recent months, irregular migration pressure along Hungary’s southern border has been steadily increasing. This is reflected in official statistics and confirmed by police officers and soldiers serving at the border. While the rise in illegal border crossing attempts in 2020–2021 could be attributed at least in part to the lifting of restrictions introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, the further increase in 2022 figures can no longer be explained by this factor alone.
Although current arrival numbers remain far below the levels seen in 2015, this does not mean that illegal migration no longer poses a security challenge or does not carry security risks. This study analyzes migration movements through the available data and highlights key correlations. In geographical terms, it focuses on the Western Balkan route, which directly affects Hungary, and in terms of timeframe, it concentrates primarily on developments since 2020. Regarding the forms of migration, it deals exclusively with irregular migration.
