More than 15,000 people were caught trying to cross the Hungarian border in the year 2000. Yet many more were successful in their mission. The problems with the border patrol are vast; the job is unattractive, with low pay and unsociable working hours causing the force to only fill 70% of its vacancies, and technology along the border lags behind, with the force having only a few night vision cameras at their disposal. The smugglers themselves, who earn up to 20,000 Schilling per person they get across the border, have access to far more sophisticated technology. "It’s all very well organised, we slip past the border guard and with an infrared night-vision device we take people over the border", one smuggler explains. The majority of people crossing the border are so-called economic migrants, aiming to find a better living in Western Europe. The reason they chose Hungary as a crossing point is because it offers visa-free access to many of its neighbours. "Hungary for them is not a destination country, but a transit one", explains one official. Despite the visa-free regime being a root of the problem, the government intends to continue the visa-free regime with its neighbours. How that will work once EU membership is granted to Hungary is yet to be seen. A fascinating look at migration issues before the EU moved further east.

Produced by ORF Fernsehprogramm-Service GmbH & Co KG