A three-meter-high fence guarded by police officers 24 hours a day and renovation work on a former vocational school have been causing great unrest in a community of 1,500 people near the Austrian border for weeks. Several Hungarian media outlets are reporting that a new refugee camp is being built in Vitnyéd – contrary to all statements to the contrary from the right-wing nationalist government of Viktor Orbán.
A three-meter-high wire fence was quickly erected around the former school grounds, which is being closely monitored by the police, the online portal hvg.hu wrote on Monday. Photos reportedly show that there are already double bunk beds in the former gymnasium (see photo below). The mayor of Vitnyéd, Csaba Szalai, reminded that the site was state property and that he was not allowed to comment on it.
In the city’s official Facebook group, Szalai initially justified the creation of a refugee camp by saying that Hungary had been fined millions for violating EU asylum laws. Refugees from Ukraine had previously been housed in Csermajor. Vitnyéd is just a few kilometres from the border in Seewinkel in Burgenland and near Deutschkreutz.
Protest in front of a construction site: “Who are they actually protecting?”
There is resistance among the residents of Vitnyéd. A protest march to the construction site took place on Sunday. The large numbers of demonstrators complained about the government’s secrecy and demanded access. “The police can escort us and show us everything so we can calm down. Who are they protecting?” shouted several angry residents, as hvg.hu reported.
A government commissioner in charge of rural development said in a video on Facebook: “There will be no migrant camp in Vitnyéd. Prime Minister Orbán has already personally assured this.” According to the Fidesz politician, any information to the contrary is false news to sow fear. The reason for the renovation work is that the building, in order to accommodate numerous refugees from Ukraine, is in a “desolate state” and needs to be renovated.
Fake ‘evidence photos’ shown?
In the video, the politician also showed several photos of the state of the sanitary and living areas, some of which are actually uninhabitable. However, the footage is said to have come from another school building, as opposition politicians and the media report.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
