Despite border fence, Hungary is route of hope for migrants to the West

A razor wire fence stands on the Hungarian-Serbian border next to the village of Roszke, Hungary, February 3, 2022. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

KUBEKHAZA, Hungary/RABE, Serbia (Reuters) - Portraying Hungary as a border fortress against illegal migration into Europe is a central theme of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's close-fought campaign for re-election on April 3, but Hungary's borders still appear increasingly porous.

France was overwhelmed by migrants, said Orban in a recent speech, while Italy's border was "as leaky as a pasta strainer" - rhetoric seen as a voter-winner in his ruling Fidesz party's rural and conservative strongholds.