While Brussels is in denial, the European Parliament voted for the migrant visa already back in December, and preparations are well on the way, Government Spokesperson István Hollik stated on Friday in Budapest.
Mr Hollik observed that the European Commission made several statements amounting to admissions on Thursday when they attempted to deny point by point the Brussels plans which seek to encourage immigration, but instead they confirmed them.
The government spokesperson highlighted that, in contrast to Brussels’ claims, it is a fact that the pro-immigration majority of the European Parliament voted for the introduction of migrant (humanitarian) visas already on 11 December last year. Pursuant to the decision, the Commission was given until the end of March to work out the legislation necessary for the entry into force of the migrant visa, he stressed. Brussels denies it, but it is a fact that the representative of the European Commission – Commissioner Christos Stylianides – himself stated at the beginning of the debate in the European Parliament on 13 November that the Commission supports the proposal and will work out the relevant details by the end of March, Mr Hollik recalled.
According to the government spokesperson, the introduction of the migrant visa has been on the agenda of pro-immigration politicians for a long time.
He also pointed out that Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos said already in 2014 that the Commission is committed to exploring new pathways, and this is particularly true of the development of a common approach regarding the issuance of humanitarian visas. It is therefore not surprising that pro-immigration forces did everything they could for the adoption of the migration visa, Mr Hollik observed. He recalled that as they failed to push the proposal through in the EP in November, “completely against the rules” they put it back on the agenda, and forced the proposal through in December.
Mr Hollik took the view that with the migrant visa Brussels wishes to open the gates to millions of immigrants, to legalise migration, and to issue an open invitation to immigrants. At the consulates and embassies of EU Member States outside the territory of the EU immigrants would be given visas entitling them to entry into the EU before the relevant asylum proceedings could be conducted, this is the essence of the migrant visa, the government spokesperson explained.
In answer to a question, Mr Hollik said the threat on the Balkans migrant route is in direct proportion to the stability of the agreement between Turkey and the EU. If the Turkish party honours the agreement, the Balkans route is less risky, and the Mediterranean poses a substantially higher risk.
At the same time, this agreement can become unstable at any time. For internal political reasons, Turkey could even terminate the agreement, and while the likelihood of this happening is minor, the eventuality itself cannot be ruled out, he observed.
Should the Balkans route reopen again, Hungary is ready, the border fence is in place, and they are able to deploy further policing personnel in the border region within a very short time, he said.
In answer to another suggestion he said pro-immigration politicians appreciate increasingly, through the issue of the migrant visa – as did Hungarian pro-immigration forces with the approach of the parliamentary elections –, that the majority of people do not share their view. This is why they are trying to cover up their own plans.
They say that they want to stop illegal migration, but they add that they want to open legal migration pathways. The migrant visa would effectively throw the gates wide open, would amount to another invitation, and would facilitate entry into the territory of the EU by magnitudes, Mr Hollik said, confirming the government’s position that asylum proceedings must be conducted in hotspots outside the territory of the EU.