Budapest, Sep 9 (IANS/EFE): Hungary has expelled nearly 5,000 refugees in 2015, mainly for not having sought asylum, Hungarian police announced in a statement on Wednesday.

Hungarian authorities have expelled 4,000-5,000 refugees this year, said Laszlo Balazs, head of the Hungarian police's border control unit.

The police said 172,821 refugees, who crossed the border from Serbia, have been intercepted since January.

A total of 160,275 asylum applications were registered in this central European country in the same period by refugees who reached Hungary from Serbia, after they fled from countries in conflict such as Syria and Afghanistan.

However, all refugees who spoke to EFE in recent days insisted that their main fear was that Hungarian police may identify them and force them return to Hungary when they try to cross to another country of the European Union.

Regulations stipulate that the first EU country which the refugees cross should be responsible for handling asylum applications and responding to refugees.