FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

István Simicskó said mass migration had been hijacked by terrorist cells and lone bombers – but Brussels bureaucrats had failed to recognise the threat. He added the new force, trained by police, will help reduce the number of soldiers along the border.

GETTY Hungary is expected to assemble a designated border force

Simicskó said that “we are living in an age of hybrid warfare” and there were numerous threats coming from different areas using various methods. Nato forces may also play a role in defending the EU’s borders against illegal immigration, according to Simicskó. The eastern European nation has expressed an interest in raising its defence budget to comply with Nato regulations by 2024, Simicskó said, and the amount of Hungarian troops in Iraq would also be bolstered.

GETTY István Simicskó said the new force will help reduce the number of soldiers along the border

President Trump has previously labelled Nato as “obsolete” and blasted member states for failing to commit to the agreed two per cent of national GDP spending into the intergovernmental military alliance. Hungary has been slammed by the EU for building fences and not bowing down to the bloc’s quotas on refugee relocation. Austria has also been attacked for trying to escape its mandatory refugee resettlement programme. Christian Kern, Austria’s chancellor, sent a letter to the European Commission last month asking for his country to be exempt from the reallocation scheme.

Meet Hungary's border hunter police Thu, March 9, 2017 Border Hunter Police in Hungary undergo rigorous training, including assembling pistols blindfolded, and judo Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 19 Hungarian border hunter recruits learn judo moves

GETTY Hungary has expressed an interest in raising its defence budget to comply with Nato guidelines