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Bence Rétvári, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, and György Bakondi, the Prime Minister’s Chief Advisor on Homeland Security, visited the southern border at the road crossing point in Röszke on Tuesday. On migration, they said that the EU’s mandatory quota would be a magnet for illegal migrants.
Bence Rétvári noted that Hungarian opposition parties support the idea of an EU migrant quota, but that it is dangerous for all Hungarians and Europeans. He said that when the border fence was not yet in place, hundreds of thousands of people were crossing the Hungarian border, and the opposition claimed that “nothing is happening here, there is no danger,” and then when the fence started to be built, the opposition parties were against it, too.
L-R: Bence Rétvári and György Bakondi. Photo: MTI/Rosta Tibor
The State Secretary underlined that Brussels is constantly trying to “break through the southern Hungarian border barrier” in order to let in illegal migrants. The latest attempt was made recently, when “in a coup-like procedure, they pushed through their own mandatory quota proposal by qualified majority,” according to which all EU countries must automatically accept immigrants.
Poland and Hungary have voted against the proposal, but since unanimity was not required, their veto did not stop other Member States from reaching the agreement. As a result, Poland is now considering a referendum on the issue. Hungary already held a referendum on the mandatory resettlement of migrants back in 2016. The referendum asked Hungarians whether they agreed with the European Union to impose the compulsory resettlement of non-Hungarians in Hungary without the consent of parliament. Though the referendum was technically invalid, as less than half of those eligible to vote cast a valid ballot, it is worth pointing out that more than 98% of those who voted (3.3. million people) said ‘NO’ to the migrant quotas.
Rétvári stressed that if Brussels’ plan for mandatory resettlement quotas were to be implemented, “we would be surrounded by tens of thousands of illegal migrants who would constantly demand to be allowed into the European Union.” He pointed out that in this case, Hungary would have to carry out procedures in the tens of thousands at its southern border, and
the mandatory quota would be a magnet for illegal migrants. This is why borders must be protected and quotas rejected,
the politician emphasized.
György Bakondi, the prime minister’s chief adviser on homeland security, said that Brussels would make the results achieved by the government in closing the border, among other actions, in order to protect Europe, impossible with a mandatory quota system. He remarked that
almost one million border crossers had been apprehended since 2015.
He drew attention to the difference between “genuine refugees” and illegal immigrants. In the case of the latter, “organized crime is dominating the field,” with people being transported here for money, concealing their identities, trying to enter Hungary illegally, often violently, without documents, he underlined.
Via MTI, Featured photo via MTI/Rosta Tibor
