Hungary blasts EU 'hypocrisy' over border controls

(PRAGUE) - Hungary on Friday accused the European Union of "hypocrisy" after fellow EU members began building fences to stop the flow of refugees and migrants, a step for which it had been criticised earlier.

"It's not entertaining to build a fence on your border. And we don't do it for fun. But we had to defend ourselves because there is no common European solution," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told reporters in Prague.

"It's all about hypocrisy," Szijjarto said.

Speaking in English, he added that "so far Hungary is the only successful country that could stop the influx."

Slovenia is now building barriers on its border with Croatia while Austria has announced a plan to build a fence on a part of its border with Slovenia.

"We were considered fascists, dictators, someone totally not complying with EU values," said Szijjarto.

"Now I look at the neighbouring countries -- what have they been doing? Building 'technical obstacles' on their borders. But what does a 'technical obstacle' mean? Fence and wire," Szijjarto fumed.

His words angered EU deputy chief Frans Timmermans.

Referring to the stopping of the migrant flow, Timmermans asked rhetorically, "Is it a success that nobody goes to Hungary anymore?"

"My definition of success is whether we get this problem under control. And to get this problem under control we need to work together as Europeans."

More than 800,000 people have landed on Europe's southern shores so far this year, the UN said on Friday. Many are fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.