“We must assist countries that are already providing care for refugees”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on American television news channel CNN.
In an interview aired on Wednesday, the Foreign Minister stressed that there are currently millions of refugees in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraqi Kurdistan, and these countries must be provided with financial aid to help support their burden-sharing.
According to Mr. Szijjártó, it is bad politics to invite even more people to the European Union. “Our standpoint today is that we must regain our sovereignty; we alone must decide who we allow to enter Europe”, said the Hungarian Foreign Minister, who spoke to CNN after participating in the UN General Assembly’s debate on international security on Tuesday. The interview was aired in the station’s European edition on Wednesday evening.
“Let’s assume that the EU implements the quota system. What will happen then?” CNN news anchor Hala Gorani asked the Hungarian Foreign Minister.
In his reply, Mr, Szijjártó explained that the Hungarian Government has already taken the issue to the European Court of Justice, as has Slovakia, because the first decision on the compulsory resettlement quota agreed upon by EU Interior Ministers contravened European regulations. “That decision amended the Dublin System. However, our standpoint is that the amendment of the Dublin System requires the authorisation of national parliaments and the Member States, and that is not what happened in this case”, Mr. Szijjártó stressed.
The CNN news anchor also asked whether Hungary, which receives significant funding from the European Union, shouldn’t respect Regulations and show more solidarity towards other EU countries.
“Is it in fact Hungary that is showing the most solidarity with German and Austria because we are the only ones who can state: we have stopped the flow of illegal immigration crossing our borders. There is no more illegal immigration flowing towards Austria and Germany via the territory of Hungary”, Mr. Szijjártó declared. “I don’t think the fact that there are countries who place the burden onto the shoulders of Austria, Germany and Sweden is a sign of solidarity. But this is not what Hungary is doing; we have stopped the flow of immigration at the border. This is the true sign of solidarity. We are part of the Schengen System, according to which we are bound to protect the external borders of the European Union, and this is exactly what we are doing”, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised.