Prime Minister Péter Magyar says Hungary will continue granting temporary protection to men of military service age fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war, despite a recent EU decision to end such protection.
Hungary will continue offering protection
Hungary will continue to grant temporary protection to men of conscription age fleeing the Russia-Ukraine war, Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced on Thursday in Budapest.
Speaking at a government press conference, Magyar recalled that the European Union recently decided – with Hungary voting against the measure – that men of military service age fleeing the war should no longer be eligible for temporary protection.
However, the Hungarian government decided on Wednesday that Hungary would continue to reserve the right to grant temporary protection to such people arriving in the country.
Magyar said the decision was particularly important given that an increasing number of people in this category are arriving from Transcarpathia, where Hungary’s ethnic Hungarian community is concentrated.
“Hungary will act differently and provide assistance to those who need it,” Magyar said.
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Magyar calls EU decision ‘unacceptable’
The Hungarian prime minister said he had raised the issue with several EU leaders and also discussed it with European Council President António Costa on Wednesday. Magyar described the EU decision as both “unworthy and unacceptable”, arguing that it effectively leaves men fleeing the war with no alternative but to remain in a country at war.
Hungary therefore intends to maintain its own approach and continue providing protection to eligible men of conscription age who flee Ukraine.
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The decision could particularly affect Transcarpathian Hungarians
The Hungarian government has repeatedly highlighted the situation of the ethnic Hungarian community in Transcarpathia, in western Ukraine, during discussions over the war and Ukraine’s relationship with the EU.
According to Magyar, the decision to maintain Hungary’s ability to grant temporary protection is partly intended to ensure that Transcarpathian Hungarians fleeing the conflict can continue to receive assistance and protection in Hungary.
The move comes during disagreements between Budapest and Brussels over migration, Ukraine and the future of the EU’s approach to the war. For now, Hungary has made clear that it will not automatically follow the latest EU approach when it comes to men of conscription age fleeing the conflict.
