Bulgaria’s migration proposal ‘alarming’, says Hungarian FM

Bulgaria’s most recent proposal on migration is “alarming”, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday, arguing that it was based on the mandatory redistribution of migrants across the European Union and would pose a “serious danger” to Europe.

Speaking to international reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels, Szijjártó said the proposal put forward by Bulgaria, which holds the bloc’s rotating presidency, suggests that the EU should redistribute migrants among its member states if it were faced with a migration wave similar to the one seen in 2015.

Bulgaria’s proposal essentially means that “if enough of you come, you’ll be distributed; so a lot of you should come,” Szijjártó said.

“This constitutes an invitation to migrants, which is against Europe’s security interests,” the minister said.

Szijjártó insisted that the proposal called for the redistribution of migrants without a headcount or time limit. If adopted, member states would have to start taking in migrants immediately, Szijjarto said, adding that — according to Bulgaria’s calculations — central European countries would have to take in the most people.

“This completely goes against both common sense and the security interests of the European people,” Szijjártó said. The minister also criticised a clause in the proposal suggesting that member states that take in migrants voluntarily would have access to additional funding.

He said Hungary had to protect its southern borders “with all its power”, noting that Austria had recently said it would close its borders if necessary.

“Hungary doesn’t want to become a final destination in the event of a major migration wave, since it’s clear that the situation in Greece is only getting worse,”

Szijjártó said. He said sources in Greece were comparing the country’s current migrant situation to 2015. Meanwhile, a new migration route is taking shape in the Western Balkans passing through Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

On another subject, Szijjártó said he had asked EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini at their bilateral meeting to ensure that any proposal on migration presented to member states or the European Council in the future is balanced. If certain countries view migration as a positive and a phenomenon that goes along with global prosperity, then it is only fair to expect these proposals to reflect the opinions of those who see migration as a security risk, Szijjarto argued.

On the topic of the Iran nuclear agreement, Szijjártó said he and his colleagues were in agreement that the deal was “one of the most important diplomatic achievements of all time”, noting that it has both economic and security aspects. He said the ministers had emphasised the importance of dialogue between the United States and the EU in making sure that neither side’s interests are hurt. From the EU’s perspective this is also important in terms of its unity, he said.

As regards the accession of Macedonia to the EU, Szijjártó said

Hungary believes enlargement should be among the EU’s most prioritised policies.

EU enlargement in the Western Balkans should be speeded up, Szijjártó said, adding that this was both a security and economic interest for Europe. Hungary wants the EU to start its accession talks with Serbia and Montenegro before the end of the year, Szijjarto said, insisting that doing so would encourage the rest of the countries in the region to speed up their accession to the bloc.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI