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Hungary said at the start of the migration crisis in 2015 that the external borders of the European Union must be protected, and proved that it is possible, Balázs Hidvéghi, Fidesz MEP, said at a conference on illegal migration in Strasbourg on Wednesday.
Viktor Orbán was the only prime minister in Europe to make it clear that refugees and economic migrants must be distinguished and not confused. Later on, the categories of migrants and refugees were deliberately confused, which led to many conflicts in Europe, the Hungarian politician said.
The MEP recalled that Hungary built a fence on the Serbian border despite international opposition and outcry. The number of illegal migrants has dropped significantly since the fence was built, although a large number of migrants still attempt to cross the border illegally.
Hungary has spent HUF 650 billion (EUR 1.5 billion) on the border fence, of which the EU has reimbursed only 2 percent.
He concluded by saying that solidarity must be shown by European governments towards Europeans. The Hungarian measures reflect this solidarity, Balázs Hidvéghi added.
‼️We need order and security on Europe’s borders! Allowing everyone to come in, and letting them off without checking whether they pose any security risks to European citizens is unacceptable. @Europarl_EN #eplenary #immigration pic.twitter.com/fxWTQRz64H
— Hidvéghi Balázs (@BalazsHidveghi) November 23, 2022
Jean-Paul Garraud, Member of the European Parliament for the French National Rally, said in his speech that the impact of uncontrolled migration on France is significant. He said that it was difficult to obtain data because it was forbidden to compile statistics on ethnic origin in France. Commenting on migration, Jorge Buxadé Villalba, a Spanish politician from the Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament, said that the free movement of illegal immigrants into Europe posed a security risk.
Italian League MEP Marco Campomenosi stressed that the current Italian coalition government is united in its efforts to tackle migration. Patryk Jaki, Polish MEP for the European Conservatives and Reformists, said that by strengthening border protection, Poland aims to protect its identity, its self-sufficiency and its Western civilization based on Greek philosophy, Roman law and Christian traditions.
Harald Vilimsky, MEP for the Austrian Freedom Party, said that the political parties of the MEPs participating in the conference, Fidesz MEPs, the Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the Identity and Democracy (ID) groups in the EP, had signed a declaration of cooperation. The cooperation includes three political parties that have given prime ministers, including “Fidesz, the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is the main defender of European identity”, he said.
Earlier, speaking at the European Parliament on Wednesday, Balázs Hidvéghi talked about how Europe’s gates were not open to all and that order and security had to be restored.
According to the Hungarian MEP, this is the frightening result of the open borders policy: hundreds of undocumented people are roaming free in Europe, posing who knows what kind of security threat to European citizens. He added:
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini proved years ago that borders can be protected, on land and at sea, if there is a political will.”
In the meantime, the migratory pressure on the Hungarian-Serbian border is not easing. Last Saturday, police and soldiers dealt with almost 700 illegal immigrants at the southern border. Illegal border crossing attempts have doubled in a year, and the situation is similar in Serbia.
The seriousness of the situation is illustrated by the fact that a Middle Eastern migrant told an public television M1’s reporter in Belgrade that the illegal migrants include people who used to be soldiers, commandos or even spies.
Featured photo via MTI/Kelemen Zoltán Gergely
