Hungary has begun building a fence on the country's southern border with Serbia, meant to stem the unprecedented flow of migrants, the government said Monday.

Military personnel began working on a 490-foot "sample section" Monday morning on the outskirts of the town of Morahalom, where a bulldozer and other heavy machinery were preparing the ground for construction, according to a joint statement from the interior and defense ministries.

"A daily average of 1,000 illegal border crossers are arriving in Hungary, so illegal immigration has become a severe problem and its control a prominent task," the ministries said.

Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said Hungary was committed to building the fence, which it says is a temporary measure.

"Construction is taking place in line with the original intentions and schedule," Kovacs said.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had said earlier the 13-foot high fence would be built first in the eight to 10 areas "most exposed to the immigration pressure" along the 175-kilometer [109-mile] long border between Hungary and Serbia.

About 80,000 migrants and refugees have reached Hungary so far this year. Approximately 80 percent of them are from war-torn countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Most of them request asylum, but they quickly go to other, wealthier European Union countries like Germany and Sweden before their requests are settled.

The Associated Press