Fidesz says position on ‘migrant cards’ vindicated by case of Syrian terrorist suspect

Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party says its opposition to prepaid bank cards for migrants has been vindicated by intelligence reports that a Syrian terrorist suspect recently arrested in Budapest received such a card after arriving in the European Union.

János Halász, the deputy head of parliament’s national security committee for Fidesz, told the committee on Tuesday that his party had warned in the past that anonymous bank cards could be used to finance terrorism.

The committee heard briefings by representatives of the Counter Terrorism Centre (TEK), the Constitutional Protection Office and the Information Office (IH), Hungary’s civilian intelligence agency.

Halász said some 64,000 debit cards had been distributed to migrants in January alone.

“Who knows how many among them could be suspected of terrorism?” he asked.

The lawmaker called for a change of direction in Brussels’ migration policy, arguing that “the current pro-migration majority” was putting the safety of Europeans at risk.