To keep migrants out, Hungary wants to build a 109-mile-long, 13-foot fence

Saying that "Hungary cannot afford to wait any longer," Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced the country is preparing to build a 13-foot fence along its 109-mile border with Serbia in order to keep migrants trying to enter the European Union from crossing illegally.

Data from Frontex, the European border agency, shows that from January to May of this year, more than 50,000 migrants illegally crossed between Serbia and Hungary. Almost half of those migrants were from Kosovo, while 11,253 came from Afghanistan and 7,640 were from Syria, The Washington Post reports. Hungary says that since it's a member of the EU and Schengen Area, a group of 26 countries that do not have internal borders, migrants are using Hungary as their gateway to the EU, where they can work illegally or seek asylum.

The EU isn't supportive of the plan, with spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud telling reporters it "does not promote the use of fences and encourages member states to use alternative measures." Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's prime minister, had even stronger words, saying on state television he was "shocked and surprised" by the plan. "We don't want to live in an Auschwitz," he added.

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