Hungary opposes mandatory redistribution of migrants

The Hungarian government supports stricter regulations against NGOs “taxiing” migrants across the sea to Europe but rejects EU plans on a mandatory redistribution of migrants aimed at easing the migration pressure on Italy, an interior ministry official said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the press, state secretary Károly Kontrát assessed a meeting of EU interior ministers in Tallinn on July 6 at which they discussed the latest developments in the migration crisis concerning the recently increased numbers of refugees arriving in Italy.

He said he had underlined at the meeting the Hungarian government’s position that the primary task for the EU was to stop the wave of migrants and to protect the bloc’s external borders.

Kontrát said the interior ministers hailed Italy’s call for resolute action towards more effectively regulating civil organisations involved in helping migrants at sea.

He said Hungary was the first EU member state to highlight the “immense role and responsibility” of foreign funded NGOs “operating non-transparently” in the rising migration pressure on Europe.

“These organisations would often entice migrants into breaking the laws; as they would also often collaborate with human smugglers,” said Kontrát. Through such action, these groups only deepen the migration crisis instead of easing it, with which they also pose national security risks, he said.

Kontrát said he had stressed in his address at the meeting the need for the EU to stop the flow of migrants overall and to take action to prevent the exodus of migrants from their home countries as well as prevent illegal migration through transit countries.

Photo: MTI/EPA

Source: MTI