Despite the restrictions on border crossing, buses that have been operating abroad and transporting Ukrainian migrant workers due to the coronavirus epidemic, are constantly arriving at the Hungarian-Ukrainian border crossing point in Záhony, the Mayor of the small town of Upper Szabolcs said on Tuesday. Laszlo Helmeczi said that buses arriving mainly from the Czech Republic and crossing the Hungarian border in Hegyeshalome reach Záhony from the humanitarian transit corridor. From there, the workers are transported to Ukraine by bus. An average of 500-1500 people arrive per day, and on Tuesday about five hundred people crossed the border, despite the fact that in accordance with Ukrainian restrictions, which have been in place since Monday night, only cars can enter Ukraine, the mayor explained. According to Laszlo Helmeczi’s estimates, since the introduction of restrictions on the Ukrainian border due to the epidemic, approximately 15-20 thousand Ukrainian citizens have returned home via Zahony, and more people will probably want to go home for Easter. This traffic is not visible to residents of Zahony, the locals are more afraid that if the Ukrainian authorities for some reason do not allow their own citizens to cross the border, many migrant workers will just get stuck there on the Hungarian side. In this case, there is an emergency unit in the city’s two gyms, originally intended for other purposes, but they will not be able to accommodate more than five hundred people, the mayor added. To avoid the risk of infection, the municipality installed several portable toilets near the border station and provided drinking water and hand-washing facilities for the travelers. 

Ukrajna Magyarországi