Economy minister Varga: World Bank loan programmes could contribute to managing migrant crisis

Budapest, October 12 (MTI) – The World Bank could contribute to the handling of the migrant crisis through its loan and development programmes, Economy Minister Mihály Varga told public Kossuth Radio on Monday.

Varga said the migrant crisis dominated discussions at last weekend’s annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, with the conclusion being that the bank could launch loan programmes that provide local jobs and income to people considering setting off for Europe. The bank’s programmes should also be used to create peaceful conditions in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, so migrants can eventually return home, he added.

World leaders now see the solution to the migrant crisis in tackling its root causes to prevent millions of people from having to leave their homes, the minister said.

He said migration would be one of the most important issues for Hungary and Europe in the foreseeable future, with the key question being how its causes can be eliminated.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI