A policy on migrants flowing into the EU which focuses on distributing them among Member States according to quotas is mistaken. Instead, efforts to curb the migration of our modern era which is leading to a critical situation must be made outside the EU. This was the message which Péter Szijjártó had for Hungarian journalists on Monday in Brussels, where he was attending talks on a number of topics, including migration.
Mr. Szijjártó had talks with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, preceded by meetings with EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc and Belgian businessmen.
The Minister emphasised that migration presents Europe with a historic challenge. He stated that so far this year 154,400 people have crossed the Hungarian border illegally, of which around 153,000 have come from Serbia. Of these illegal immigrants, somewhat more than 140,000 have submitted applications for asylum. Looking to the future, Mr. Szijjártó noted that experience has shown that in the three months from October this year roughly the same number of people will arrive as in the previous nine months. This is because the weather will no longer allow crossing of the Mediterranean Sea from Africa.
The Minister drew attention to the fact that the external borders of the Schengen area – within which there is unhindered border crossing between Member States – may only be crossed at official border-crossing points at certain times, and the countries on these external borders are obliged to enforce this requirement.
According to Mr. Szijjártó, since Greece is not complying with Community Law and has not been registering the immigrants, and the Western Balkan states are unable to halt the influx of refugees, it is Hungary which must protect the Schengen area’s external borders.
He emphasised that Hungary will do this regardless of all criticism.
The Hungarian minister also said that certain EU Member States have made irresponsible statements, which human traffickers have interpreted as an encouragement, and which have resulted in immigrants becoming more aggressive.
He added that he had personally spoken with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on this matter on the telephone last week.
On the question of how the immigration pressure could be alleviated outside the EU, Mr. Szijjártó pointed out that development aid provided to the countries concerned must be made subject to certain conditions. Furthermore, he highlighted as a particularly good idea the setting up of “hot spots”: crisis management centres outside the EU where immigrants to Europe could be initially screened, with genuine refugees in need of protection differentiated from economic immigrants to be excluded.
He pointed out that the solution will required coordinated effort within Europe. Hungary has sent police officers to the Macedonian-Serbian border to provide support, but Hungary is naturally unable to resolve the current situation in the Western Balkans on its own.
Mr. Szijjártó said that Hungary urges EU Member States to hold a conference on the migration issue in Budapest as soon as possible, with the participation of the Western Balkan countries and Turkey. As things currently stand, it might be possible to have this conference at the beginning of October.
Together with the EU Commissioner for Transport, Péter Szijjártó provided information on the renewal plans for the Budapest‒Belgrade railway line, and then on the intention of Hungary to participate in the infrastructure development of the Port of Koper in Slovenia. He also met executives of large companies, with whom he discussed possibilities for investment projects which would create jobs in Hungary.
One of these companies is active in the pharmaceutical industry and has raised the idea of starting vaccine production in Hungary, while another is Samsonite, which already has a large manufacturing capacity in Hungary, he added.