As the European Union (EU) gets ready to implement its migration pact, Hungary is standing firm on its strict approach to illegal immigration.
The top leaders of Hungary have criticized Brussels’ plans to speed up the distribution of migrants and start campaigns supporting immigration in member countries.
Concerns with EU’s migration pact
The EU migration pact, slated to begin this summer, aims to make it easier to distribute migrants across member countries.
Each nation will have six months to prepare an implementation plan, according to State Secretary Bence Rétvári.
However, the pact’s provisions have sparked concerns in Hungary.
Rétvári claimed that Brussels intends to divert a portion of cohesion funding for “migration purposes.”
This means the money would go towards paying people to make sure countries follow the rules about how many migrants they take in.
The state secretary warned that Hungary and other nations could face fines of up to €20,000 per refused migrant.
Hungary’s resolute stance
During a C5 meeting in Ljubljana, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reiterated Hungary’s position on illegal immigration.
He stated that the government views border violations as attacks on the country’s sovereignty and emphasized the importance of dismantling human smuggling networks.
“Criminals and migrants have fired shots at border guards on several occasions, which is completely unacceptable… We do not need such people in the EU,” Szijjártó declared.
On the topic of the Ukraine war, Szijjártó acknowledged that over one million refugees had entered Hungary since the conflict began.
He stressed that neither side could achieve victory through military means alone, underscoring the need for peace talks to prevent further loss of life and destruction.
“The sooner there is a ceasefire and peace talks, the fewer people will die and destruction will be less detrimental,” the foreign minister said.
Brussels’ alleged pro-immigration propaganda campaign
According to Rétvári, the European Commission plans to launch a “comprehensive pro-immigration campaign” in member states. This alleged campaign, funded by public money, aims to favorably portray the migration pact and involve EU representations in each country.
“It is understood in Brussels that people won’t support migration and they seek to convince them through a campaign in the press that they would benefit from accommodating illegal migrants in line with the quotas,” Rétvári claimed.
Battle lines drawn
As the EU migration pact looms, Hungary remains steadfast in its opposition to illegal immigration and perceived attempts to undermine its sovereignty.
The country’s leaders have vowed to protect their borders and resist mandatory migrant distribution quotas, setting the stage for potential conflicts with Brussels.