Hungary wants to counter migration with this African country

Cooperation between Hungary and Algeria is key, as the two countries hold similar positions on illegal migration and the war in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said after meeting his Algerian counterpart on Friday.

Hungary, Algeria on the same page concerning migration

Hungary and Algeria are both freedom-loving countries that reject attempts at outside interference, the foreign ministry cited Szijjártó as saying at a joint press conference with Ahmed Attaf in Budapest. The two countries also see eye to eye when it comes to their serious security challenges, Szijjártó said. The European Union is facing some of its most severe economic and security challenges of all time, with the latter being related to the rising threat of terrorism in Africa, he said.

Former French colonies in Africa have seen eight coups in three years, which destabilise the region and result in a rise in migration pressure on the European continent, the minister said. Hungary faces security threats from two different directions, namely the war in Ukraine from the east and illegal migration from the south, Szijjártó said. “That’s why cooperation between Hungary and Algeria is important to us, because we are on the same side and hold similar positions when it comes to both issues,” he said.

Migration flows towards Europe need to be stopped as quickly as possible, new armed conflicts in Africa must be prevented and the countries in the region must be given the help they need to preserve their stability and develop their economies, the minister said. In other words, it is the root causes of migration that need to be addressed, Szijjártó said, adding that instead of encouraging people to come to Europe and “supporting the business model of people smuggling rings”, Africa should be helped in achieving stability and peace and eliminating the causes of migration.

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“This is especially true for the Sahel region . if stability can’t be restored here, then Europe will face more migration waves, and in the current situation the continent won’t be able to manage two simultaneous security challenges,” Szijjártó warned. Turning to the situation in Ukraine, the minister said both Algeria and Hungary were part of the “global pro-peace majority”, stressing that only a diplomatic settlement could save lives.