Orbán: refugees have to work in Hungary!
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Hungary must look at the war in Ukraine in light of its own interests, as its topmost priority is the peace and security of its own citizens, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told public broadcaster Kossuth Rádió on Friday.
Providing for the refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine is Hungary’s task, and “there’s no need to wait for anyone… waiting for Brussels would create serious problems at the border,” he said.
“Brussels is all talk, and nation states are all action,”
Orbán said. Insisting that it was uncertain when funding from the EU would be forthcoming, Orbán said “this is our issue, our problem… and Hungary will resolve it.” Hungary will welcome EU support “whenever Brussels deigns to wake up”. At the same time, Hungary “has been defending the southern border for years and Brussels has not paid a farthing for the [border] fence,” he said.
Some 70-80 percent of arrivals intend to move on from Hungary, Orbán said.
Those staying will need accommodation, food, healthcare, work and “education for the children in a few months”, he said. Refugees accepted in Hungary will have to abide by the rules applying to Hungarian citizens, Orbán said. They will be
entitled to jobseekers’ allowance for three months and required to find a job at the primary labour market or enter the government’s fostered work programme afterwards,
he said.
“Those staying will have to find their place in our way of life,” he said. Commenting on the fact that 140,000 people have entered Hungary from Ukraine through the border crossings there, Orbán said “this was the beginning of this crisis”. Should Transcarpathia become a militarised zone, the number of refugees will multiply, he said.
Third country citizens — such as Indian, Chinese and Nigerian students who arrived in the past few days — will be transported to Budapest and flown to their home countries,
Regarding PM Orbán’s public statement that refugees will have to work in Hungary: To the best of my knowledge, only women, children, the old and handicapped are allowed to leave Ukraine. So, just who is going to be able to work out of the aforementioned groups?