In Brussels on Thursday afternoon, after his meeting with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, Viktor Orbán stated that we are not facing a refugee issue in Europe; many of those among the illegal migrants are refugees, but there are more who are not, the Prime Minister said.
Many migrants are not fleeing wars or persecution, but set out for Europe in the hope of a better life. The number of migrants who do not come from war zones is on the increase, and the number of those who may yet come is virtually unlimited, the Hungarian prime minister said.
Mr Orbán said that it should be made clear that it is not worth setting out for Europe in the hope of a better life.
If illegal migrants arriving here are not from war zones, they will not be given the opportunity to find a new home on this continent, the Prime Minister pointed out.
It is a bluff that the European Commission would relocate fifty-four thousand asylum seekers from Hungary
At the press conference, Mr. Orbán described as a bluff a piece published in the German newspaper Die Welt which claimed that the European Commission would relocate 54,000 asylum seekers from Hungary to other Member States of the EU. According to the Prime Minister, no figure of any kind was mentioned at his meetings in Brussels.
Protection of Europe’s external borders to be restored
The protection of Europe’s external borders must be restored, Mr Orbán stressed at the international press conference which rounded off his meetings in Brussels.
In the morning the Hungarian prime minister met President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and President of the European Council Donald Tusk, while in the afternoon he had talks with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and President of the European People’s Party Joseph Daul.
In the context of the migrant crisis in Europe, Mr Orbán described protection of Europe’s external borders as a primary obligation. This is the foundation of everything, the Prime Minister said, arguing that all other measures – including possible refugee quotas – can only be discussed at a later time.
He added that Hungary is therefore convinced that – while it is far from happy with a physical barrier protecting its borders (i.e. construction of the border fence) – it is doing the right thing.