Government spokesperson says that Hungary is determined to close illegal migration loopholes

Just as it has in the past couple of years, the Hungarian government will continue to do everything in its power to close all loopholes open to illegal migrants and those organising and promoting illegal migration, the government spokesman said in Brussels on Monday.

In Hungary’s experience, “self-proclaimed” charity or human rights organisations “operate according to a very different kind of political agenda”, Zoltán Kovács told a news conference. In other words, they provide a helping hand to plans laid out either by US financier George Soros or the UN’s migration package, Kovács insisted.

Given that Hungary still considers both itself and the European Union capable of protecting its borders, it will do everything it can to make sure that they are protected, he said.

If necessary, Hungary can build a fence, boost its police and military forces and shape the legal environment to suit its goals, Kovács added.

On the topic of the United Nations’ draft document on migration, he said the Hungarian government had to look out for Hungarian interests. What matters most is that the final document should be favourable to Hungary’s interests, Kovács said. But if this will not be the case, Hungary will take the necessary steps, he said, adding that those could include abandoning the UN talks altogether.

Hungary’s argument behind its position on the UN document is that it believes that illegal migration can be stopped, Kovács said. One effective method is the construction of border fences, the government spokesman said, arguing that since Hungary installed a fence on its border with Serbia, the number of regular attempts at illegal entry into Hungary had decreased to a negligible amount. In addition, a stricter legal framework is needed to regulate the global problem of migration, Kovács said.

As regards EU enlargement, he said the European integration process was incomplete. Whereas several countries have a strategy for the Balkan region, the EU does not, even though creating stability in that region should be among the bloc’s priorities, he said.

Hungary believes Montenegro is ready to become an EU member and progress should also be made in the case of Serbia, Kovács added.

The government spokesman was asked about next year’s European parliamentary elections and the Visegrad Group’s opposition to a proposal to use pan-European party lists. He said that though some were trying to frame the V4’s opposition to the proposal as a move to hinder the bloc’s goals, the V4’s position was based solely on the Treaty of the European Union and related EU laws. Since there is no mention of EU-level electoral districts and pan-European party lists in EU documents, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia have doubts that such a system could work or should even be implemented, Kovács said.

featured image: Gergely Botár/kormany.hu

Source: MTI