Barbed wire, makeshift humanitarian aid camps and a section of border fence: Police and military personnel from six European nations have held exercises on how to handle migrants attempting to cross their borders. 

Forces from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia and Austria travelled to Hungary to take part in four days of drills in a field just outside the town of Veszprem, located around 100 kilometers south-west of Hungarian capital Budapest. As part of the exercises, troops had to respond to a fictitious measles outbreak at a camp and deal with migrants rioting and trying to break through their border fence.  

"This exercise will help us to cooperate better, quicker, nicer and it's a great experience and opportunity for us," said second lieutenant Marek Hurta, part of the Czech Republic's contingent participating in the drills. 

In addition to roughly 400 troops from the Central European Defense Cooperation nations, delegations from a further seven European nations also attended as observers.

"Both in the world and in Europe, our environment of security may change very rapidly," Hungary's Defense Minister Tibor Benko told CGTN. "These changes require us to be prepared and capable to solve the related tasks at all times."

During the 2015 migrant crisis, more than 400,000 people crossed into Hungary. Since then, the country's nationalist government has erected fences along its borders with Serbia and Croatia. Benko says strong borders are needed for the sake of Europe's peace and security. Anti-migrant policies enacted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban have seen Hungary clash frequently with the European Union.

Hungary's government now fears Turkey's military operation in northern Syria could lead to a large number of refugees heading to its doorstep. Ankara has threatened to "open the gates" and allow the 3.6 million Syrian refugees in the country to travel to Europe unless Brussels supports its military offensive. 

"We look at Turkey as a guarantor for European safety in this regard, in taking care of almost four million migrants and refugees," Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a recent interview. "On the other hand, some European countries are making a competition who can bash the Turkish president more."

Szijjarto calls on the EU and Turkey to engage in greater dialogue to prevent Ankara's threat becoming a reality. If that fails, Prime Minister Orban says Hungary will be prepared to use force to repel any people who may seek to enter the country illegally.