A shooting between migrants at an abandoned warehouse complex left three people dead and one seriously injured. He went to an area known for smuggling. Three migrants died in a shooting near the border between Serbia and Hungary on Friday. Criminal gangs are vying for control of areas along the European Union entry route used by smuggling networks.

What we know about the shooting

A gun battle took place between migrants in an abandoned warehouse in a village called Horgos. Serbian media reported that it was unclear who was behind the shooting, which also left another person seriously injured. A number of police officers attended the scene but no police statement has yet been made.

How Hungary has reacted

Hungary told EU leaders in Brussels on Friday that it must act quickly to stem migration in the region. Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said Hungary's previous warnings to the EU over "the rising rate of violence and terror committed by migrant gangs" has apparently fallen on deaf ears. "I think it should be high time for Brussels to realize, it’s not quotas and migrant camps we need, but a quick and organized effort to protect our borders, and ensure the safety of our citizens," Kovacs said on social media platform X, formerly know as Twitter.

❗️More trouble at our Southern border. According to reports residents of Horgoš, Serbia have been hearing continuous gunfire since 4 a.m. The uncertainty was palpable as gunfire persisted around the village for hours, making it feel like a “small-scale war”. ❗️Police confirmed… pic.twitter.com/D8HjGz58au

— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) October 27, 2023

Why are migrants trying to cross from Serbia to Hungary?

Smugglers operate en masse on the border between Serbia and Hungary, a member of the European Union. Reports of violence and shootings are frequent in the region as migrants make their way to the EU. In September, two people died in similar clashes, in which one was shot dead in the parking lot of a busy department store in the center of the border town of Subotica. The Hungarian government has erected a barbed wire fence on its border with Serbia to try to stem the flow of migrants.