Fidesz: Current rules not suitable to handle illegal migration

Budapest, February 20 (MTI) – Hungary’s authorities cannot handle illegal immigration under effective regulations which mostly exclude the detention of illegal entrants, Lajos Kosa, managing deputy leader of ruling Fidesz, told a parliamentary debate on the subject on Friday.

At a press conference held on the sidelines of the debate, Kosa proposed that the European Union should change its immigration policy. Hungary cannot act as a transit country for migrants, he added.

Kosa warned that the current influx of refugees could further increase, their number exceeding 100,000 in 2015. He noted that last year the number of refugees who were eventually granted asylum was hardly over 500, while the majority of applications had been rejected. He also added that the majority of procedures cannot even be completed because the refugees travel on. Due to Europe’s rules, however, they are returned to Hungary in large numbers.

Kosa criticised the EU for condemning Hungary in 2012 for detaining illegal immigrants, and restricting detentions to people “obviously prepared to commit crimes”.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters