Carrying Gulash hot dishes, offering to host them or simply expressing their sympathy, Hungarians headed to the border with Ukraine over the weekend to support the refugees who had been driven out of their country by the Russian invasion.

Even Prime Minister Viktor Orban, known for his anti - immigration policy, headed to the border and relaxed the country's strict asylum rules.

While standing at the Tisabić border crossing with a banner written in Ukrainian to provide shelter to "those who lived in hell," János Molnar said it was a "moral duty."

In another border town, Jacob Sunter Shergba, from Kharkiv, says "the journey was horrific" from Ukraine's second city where fighting raged.

This 39-year-old Nigerian, who took his Ukrainian wife and their one-year-old daughter, adds "We will go to any country that wishes to receive us."

The mayor of the city is also involved in the collective effort: he has transformed the cultural centre into a temporary shelter and placed 300 beds in halls that usually host concerts and exhibitions.

The Hungarian Government has thus decided to grant temporary protection to new arrivals, unlike other migrants who have to apply in "transit areas."

The Prime Minister promised that "all fugitives from Ukraine will find a friend in Hungary."