Far-right Hungarian mayor László Toroczkai has boasted that a new 10ft razor-wire electric border fence has protected his country from mass immigration - and hopes it 'inspires the Americans'

A mayor in Hungary has boasted that a new 10ft razor-wire electric border fence has protected his country from mass immigration - and hopes it will 'inspire' the US.

László Toroczkai insists the 100-mile fence, erected during the 2015 migrant crisis in Europe, had 'saved' his town - Ásotthalom - on Hungary's border with Serbia.

The far-right mayor claims the two parallel barriers - guarded by soldiers, thermal cameras and 3,000 'border hunters' - has restored 'calmness' in the rural community which had been in the path of a wave of refugees moving north through the continent three years ago.

Toroczkai, who is bidding for leadership of the ultra-nationalist Jobbik movement, believes US President Donald Trump should be encouraged by Hungary's hard line stance and insisted: 'I hope it inspires the Americans.'

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Toroczkai insists that the 100-mile fence, erected during the 2015 migrant crisis in Europe, had 'saved' his town - Ásotthalom - on Hungary's border with Serbia. (Pictured, migrants, left, on the Serbian side in September 2015)

Authorities in the country insist it has closed down a major migrant route through Europe. (Above, soldiers and workers during the construction of the fence)

A migrant family rests next to the Hungarian-Serbian metal border fence in August 2015

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, recently re-elected for a third straight term with a huge majority, has made stopping the entry of migrants and refugees a central plank of government policy. (Pictured, workers installing the barrier to prevent illegal crossings)

In 2016, Orban introduced tough punishments of up to three years in prison for illegal immigrants who manage to cross the border or damage the fence. (Above, a group of migrants at the barrier in August 2015)

Several thousand soldiers patrol the border sections 24 hours a day, participating in search and sweep operations

Trump's hard line against illegal immigration has been a centrepiece of his presidency, as he pursues an 'America First' agenda that includes a proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that he has said is needed to stem the flow of immigrants and drug trafficking.

According to NBC, Toroczkai was a key advocate of building the fence at the height of the 2015 crisis. It was eventually given the green light and authorities in the country insist it has closed down a major migrant route through Europe.

He said: 'This was not normal migration - this was like an attack. People moved here for a calm life and they destroyed this calmness.'

On Friday, the country was accused of failing to do enough to identify potential victims of human trafficking in its 'transit zones' for migrants and asylum seekers

A disabled man waits for his helper at the border fence, near the border village Asotthalom

In 2015, when more than one million people landed on Europe's shores, over 400,000 refugees and migrants crossed through Hungary, mostly en route to other countries. (Pictured, Hungarian soldiers and workers add wire to the top of the fence)

The 40-year-old, a divorced father-of-three, has developed a following among the far-right having appeared in his own video message to migrants in which he warned: 'Hungary is a bad choice - Ásotthalom is the worst.'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, recently re-elected for a third straight term with a huge majority, has made stopping the entry of migrants and refugees a central plank of government policy.

But on Friday, the country was accused of failing to do enough to identify potential victims of human trafficking in its 'transit zones' for migrants and asylum seekers.

Toroczkai, who is bidding for leadership of the ultra-nationalist Jobbik movement, now believes US President Donald Trump should be encouraged by Hungary's hard line stance

The far-right mayor claims the two parallel barriers - guarded by soldiers, thermal cameras and 3,000 'border hunters' - has restored 'calmness' in the rural community which had been in the path of a wave of refugees moving north through the continent three years ago

Migrants walk next to the 4m-high border fence on the Serbian side looking for a place to cross into Hungary, in September 2015

The EU is grappling with an unprecedented influx of people fleeing war, repression and poverty in what the bloc has described as its worst refugee crisis in 50 years. (Above, a second section of the fence being built)

An increasing numbers of economic migrants from Pakistan, Iran and Morocco, have breached the defence after being stopped from making their way through Europe on other routes

A Council of Europe report, based on a recent visit to the two facilities on the border with Serbia, said 'the ability to detect potential victims of human trafficking... has worsened' as a result of tighter laws and measures on immigration and asylum.

It was written by the Council's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), which oversees the implementation of the Council's convention against human trafficking.

Staff in the transit zones could not explain procedures for identifying trafficking victims, the authors said.

Last year, Hungary received just 3,397 applications for asylum, of which just over a third were given either refugee or 'subsidiary protection' status

The numbers of people getting past demonstrates the difficulty faced tackling the migrant crisis by even countries taking the toughest of stances

They said asylum seekers were detained in 'cramped living quarters, surrounded by barbed wire' and under the surveillance of armed guards.

GRETA also said it was 'deeply concerned that children aged 14-17 years are particularly vulnerable because they are treated as adults'.

There were 79 cases of 'collective expulsion' of irregular migrants to Serbia in less than two weeks alone in December 2017, it said.

The Hungarian government rejected the description of the zones as 'closed facilities', saying asylum seekers were 'free to leave in the direction of Serbia at any time'.

The interior ministry also said reports of 'collective expulsions' were 'unfounded'.

In 2015, when more than one million people landed on Europe's shores, over 400,000 refugees and migrants crossed through Hungary, mostly en route to other countries.

Last year the country received just 3,397 applications for asylum, of which just over a third were given either refugee or 'subsidiary protection' status.