Last week more than a thousand people attempted to illegally enter Hungary, and thus the territory of the EU, according to a statement issued by the Hungarian Police Headquarters. It is a record-high number, five times of last year’s figure. The pressure of migration has steadily increased in recent weeks, with tens of thousands waiting in Greece and the Balkans to enter the EU. Greece has recently witnessed the arrival of two thousand irregular migrants in one week alone, the V4 news agency reported.

According to statistics made available on the Hungarian police headquarters’ website, officers apprehended 225 illegal migrants on Hungary’s territory on Friday, 155 on Saturday and 198 on Sunday, escorting them back through the temporary border barrier. Along the Romanian and Croatian sections of the border, guards have arrested 23 irregular migrants and launched proceedings against three individuals suspected of people smuggling. Last week, police apprehended a total of 1019 illegal immigrants on Hungary’s territory, escorting them back to the other side of the border. The week before, from 9-15 December, authorities registered 669 illegal border crossing attempts.

According to the Hungarian prime minister’s top security adviser, Gyorgy Bakondi, “the published data clearly indicates that the number of illegal immigrants has increased drastically over the last few months of this year”. Speaking to Hungary’s public broadcaster, Bakondi added that more than 40 thousand people are trying to reach the EU through the Greek islands, using the Balkan route.

The premier’s internal security adviser also pointed out that, on top of those 40 thousand people, more than a hundred thousand registered migrants are waiting on the Greek island to continue their journey to Western Europe.

Meanwhile, the heavy inflow of migrants is placing a further strain on Greece. Its already bursting migrant camps on the islands of Samos and Lesbos are running at several times their intended capacity. Due to the appaling conditions, riots have recently erupted in the Samos camp, where about 300 migrants clashed with police, demanding that they be transferred to the mainland.

– The crisis is happening now, and it is serious, Migration Commissioner Manos Logothetis told the German Funk media group on Wednesday. During the past six months Greece witnessed the arrival of some 45,000 refugees, leading the commissioner to say that the situation was “clearly more critical” for Greece than the 2015 migrant crisis, arguing that back then migrants continued their journey towards Western Europe.