Hungary to take in Iranian Christian refugee if expelled from Sweden, says deputy PM

Hungary is ready to take in an Iranian Christian woman about to be expelled from Sweden, the deputy prime minister, Zsolt Semjén, told the daily Magyar Idők.

After rejecting her claim for asylum for the second time, Sweden is about to deport Aideen Strandsson, even though her conversion to Christianity in Sweden could put her life in danger back home, Semjén, the head of government while Viktor Orban is on holiday, said in the interview published on Wednesday.

Hungary does not send any asylum seeker to countries where their ethnic, religious or political background may put them in harm’s way, he said.

Strandsson would be welcome to stay in Hungary pending the favourable outcome of procedures such as national security checks, Semjen said.

“We have always differentiated between economic migrants and real refugees. We’ll protect Hungary from a migrant invasion but help all those in real danger,” Semjén said.

“Christians integrate easily into the Christian European culture, unlike Muslims who have no intention of integrating,” he said.

Strandsson was publicly baptised shortly after arriving to Sweden in 2014, the daily said, citing the website citizengo.org. The move was unexpected for an asylum seeker. Many do not publicly declare their conversion for fear of retaliation from the Muslim community, according to the website.

Her deportation would be in contravention of international agreements such as the Geneva Convention prohibiting expulsion to countries where the asylum seeker’s life may be put in danger, Magyar Hírlap said.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI/Magyar Idők/Magyar Hírlap