Some 72% of Hungarians are against the automatic distribution of asylum-seekers within European Union member states and 78% would vote ‘no’ at the Oct. 2 referendum on EU migrant quotas, the Századvég Foundation said citing a September survey on Tuesday. The Budapest-based think-tank conducted its survey between September 7 and 12. The representative survey based on interviewing more than two thousand adults by phone showed that only 3% of Hungarians would vote ‘yes’ at the upcoming referendum.
In the referendum Hungarians will be asked: “Do you want to allow the European Union to mandate the resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens to Hungary without the approval of parliament?” Supporters of the ‘no’ vote said it was a matter of sovereignty, with 61% saying it is the Hungarian people’s right to decide whom they want to live with. Some 36% of ‘yes’ supporters said even though they did not agree with Brussels’ proposal, they could not accept the government’s position, either. A total of 60% of respondents said they expect a sweeping victory of the ‘no’ vote and 18% said the ‘no’ vote is expected to win with a narrow majority only. Even 54% of the people that plan to vote ‘yes’ said they expect the rejection of the quota to win on Oct. 2. Some 78% of respondents said organised criminal groups were behind the terrorist attacks in Europe rather than lone attackers. A total of 65% said the misinterpretation of Islam was the main cause of terrorist attacks and 46% said it was poverty. A total of 60% maintained the view that primarily economic migrants are arriving in Europe. They said migrants’ motivations are varied, with 60% naming better work prospects and 51% also stating political reasons.
Meanwhile a Hungarian government official said that Brussels has already started drafting laws on binding migrant quotas. “It is absolutely obvious that the European Commission wants to introduce the mandatory quota scheme,” state secretary for government communications Bence Tuzson told public news channel M1. “The only way to stop Brussels will be Hungary’s Oct. 2 referendum”, he added. “The commission is considering a model similar to Germany’s, whereby migrants are distributed among the federal states”, he said. “The European Union’s plan is to provide migrants with apartments instead of accommodating them in camps”, Tuzson said. Hence, the problem is handed down from EU community to local level. “Action against this is needed,” he insisted.
via hungarymatters.hu and MTI