Will Hungary convince the EU that stricter migration rules are needed?
The European Union must make it clear that the only way to enter its territory is in a lawful way, or else the migration pressure on Hungary’s and Greece’s borders will not ease, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday.
Speaking after talks with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias, Szijjártó said that uncontrolled waves of migration posed an even greater danger than before in view of the coronavirus pandemic. On top of earlier security and cultural challenges illegal migration is
now posing a serious health risk, too,
he said.
Szijjártó voiced regret that the EU’s new migration package “makes the same mistakes as the ones that caused a lot of trouble to Europe in recent years”. The pact is still aimed at managing rather than stemming the waves of migration, he insisted. The goal, he said, should be to stop migration outside the community. According to the pact, mandatory migrant quotas would be maintained “if under a different name”, which the Hungarian government finds unacceptable, Szijjártó said.
- Foreign minister: EU must prepare for new migration waves, beef up border protection
- Anti-migration campaign vs reality: never came more foreigners to Hungary than in 2019
Assisting persecuted Christians, especially in the Middle East, is a crucial, shared goal for Hungary and Greece, Szijjártó said. Parties at the talks agreed to jointly support projects to help Christian communities in Jordan, he added. Szijjártó and Dendias agreed that people smuggling gangs must be eliminated.
Supporting people smuggling and illegal migration is a crime “even if committed by an NGO”, Szijjarto said.
On another subject, Szijjártó said that Hungary supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and said he hoped that country’s conflict with Armenia could be settled through negotiations. Dendias said that no open issues hindered bilateral relations with Hungary, and the two countries could cooperate in the EU in several areas.
Dendias also urged a joint European solution to the migration problem.
Concerning tension with Turkey, Dendias said that conflict was rooted in “Greece’s observing international law while Turkey is violating it”. If Turkey wishes to join the EU it must observe international law and accept the rules of the EU, too, he added.
In the aftermath if 1956, lots of Hungarians flocked to the UK and other countries, claiming refugee status upon arrival. Square that with people fleeing war zones today. Is it ok for one group but not the other? Typical Hungarian hypocrisy.
The tail will not wag the dog.
Hungary’s population = approx. 1/46 of EU’s population.
Hungary’s area = approx. 1/50 of EU’s area.
Seems as megalomaniac Szijjarto and many Fidesz voters are not aware of this. They are far bigger than their shoes.
Hungary is a drop in the ocean, with almost zero power and influence in foreigm affairs.
@Anonymous’es’
Your the hypocrites, especially ‘hiding’ behind an ‘Anonymous’ title. WW1,WW2, 1956 were wars, where people left with ‘papers’, the shirts on their backs, a dime in their pockets, a language and their were processed and shipped from adjacent countries like Austria to places prearranged by sponsorship or governmental agreements. Those people feared not being taken in too, were patient, didn’t throw rocks at the police, didn’t lob molotovs demanding to be taken England, Sweden, or USA. They also didn’t show up well dressed, with expensive cell phones, wads of credit and money. Here mostly all claiming to be Syrian refugees, but looking and speaking like Chinese, South Asian, African, Balkan, the rest of the middle east and Asia and without any legal documents?! Hungarians never had any dinner bells rung in 1956, they had the door shut to them with promises only, but to the US, the Suez canal and it’s OIL was of a BIGGER IMPORTANCE, hypocrite.
BIG DIFFERENCE !
In 1956 there were not 7.5 billion people on the planet. If 3 billion more decide they want to move to Europe and the US, the nations of the EU and the US will become the same dumps people are leaving. Waving around guilt from the past does not bode well for the future. I personally do not care what happened in 1956. I am concerned about 2020. Times have changed.
#Nikolas: 1956 was not a war. If you can’t even get that right, then the rest of your argument is equally faulty.
#Sarah: has it escaped your attention that the migrants don’t want to stay in Hungary? That the end destination they want is a wealthy country like Germany or the UK? All this fuss about people who just try to pass through this place en route to another country.
To Sarah. You don’t need to care what happened in ’56 but if you don’t learn from the past your future will be worse. I happened to be one of those waiting patiently for 5 years as a WWII refugee LEGALLY.
Yep, a future that looks Just like Syria, Iran, Central Africa, and every other cesspool nation on the planet. Joy! Pppfff. Anon…56 was the useless and dangerous migrant treaty, written by people who felt guilty about WWII. I do not share or believe in collective guilt.
# Sarah (although your use of the word ‘cesspool’ me think that are not a Sarah but someone who regularly posts extremist views here) – 1956 was and is famous for the Hungarian Revolution and the Russian masters of that time sending their tanks in to Hungary. Clearly you are clueless on this matter!
@Anonymous #3 (or Dumbass)
LMFAO at you! I have it first hand as i was in it. What do you call a large foreign army on your soil with more army tanks and soldiers in a city than Berlin was levelled with in WW2. A foreign army that calls and kills your people as spies and continue to oppress you and wont leave. You want to argue semetics about a Revolution vs Civil vs International War, go ahead. The damages were done, my arguements hold, including your cowardice of hiding behind a Dumbass address. If your a Brit, then i would have expected a lot more intelligence out of you than you show, especially with history.