Problems of legitimacy raised by UN Secretary-General’s statement, says Hungarian FM

Hungary’s foreign minister in an interview on Sunday questioned both the content of a recent statement concerning migration by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and whether the act of making it carried legitimacy. 

Speaking to public radio, Péter Szijjártó noted that Guterres had referred to migration as an opportunity for strengthening economies, reducing social disparities and linking various societies. The minister said the statement raised problems of legitimacy precisely because the global organisation was currently addressing directives that would be used to manage migration later on.

“We find it unconscionable that the Secretary-General has jumped the gun on such a debate, and essentially declared that the world can be certain of the fact that, on this issue, member states do not in any way enjoy equal standing,”

Szijjártó said, adding that the question must be raised as to whether there was any point in taking part in any future negotiations.

He said that, unlike the UN, the Hungarian government wants to prevent and halt migration rather than encourage and organise it.

Szijjártó said the situation was grave because the declaration would be political and adopted by the UN General Assembly. It would include, for example, that countries should not criminalise illegal border-crossing and they should loosen immigration rules, he added.

Further, the UN would, in the relevant document, declare that countries that are far away from migration routes should also accept asylum seekers. It would also emphasise the positive role of NGOs.

“Hungary continues to hold the view that migration is a bad thing and our primary job is to guarantee the security of Hungary and the Hungarian people,”  Szijjártó said.

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The ruling Fidesz party said on Sunday that it rejected the UN migration package. Imre Puskás, the party’s spokesman, told a news conference that if the UN adopted the package, migration would be given the green light around the world, and these migrant-friendly proposals would be forced on countries through international law.

“The proposals are very familiar, and similar ideas can be found in the Soros plan,” he said, referring to the government’s assertion that US billionaire investor George Soros had hatched a plan to “import one million migrants into Europe every year”. He said legalising economic migration throughout the world would set a dangerous precedent.

Puskás added, however, that anyone who needed protection would, as always, find safety in Hungary.

Source: MTI