Hungarian authorities said Tuesday that police have made the first arrests under harsh new laws coming into force punishing "illegal border-crossing" with prison terms of up to three years.

"Today, 60 people have been caught by police cutting or damaging the fence, 45 at the border, the other 15 further inside the country. Police have launched criminal procedures against them," said Gyorgy Bakondi, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief advisor.