Buses with signs Roszke-Brussels could be used to transport migrants from the Hungary-Serbia border crossing point of Roszke to the capital of the European Union. Although the Hungarian government's decision has been widely criticized by the opposition, the method is not unknown: several US states bordering Mexico are also using it to protest against the pro-immigration policies pursued by Democrat-led White House, the Migration Research Institute writes in an analysis forwarded to our newspaper.
The analysis recalls that the European Court of Justice has ruled that Hungary breached EU law by imposing restrictions on illegal migrants and ordered Hungary to pay 200 million euros plus a penalty of one million euros per day if the infringement is not remedied. In response, the Hungarian government has announced that it will send irregular migrants in buses to Brussels.
Busing migrants to New York City
For years, the US states bordering Mexico have been busing undocumented migrants arriving at the border to pro-immigration cities, including
- Washington DC
- New York
- Chicago,
- Philadelphia,
- Denver and
- Los Angeles.
Led by Republican Greg Abbott, Texas has transported more than 119 thousand migrants to major cities across the US since April 2022. Numbers show the seriousness of the situation: Texas launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, resulting in more than 518 thousand migrant apprehensions and more than 46 thousand criminal arrests.
The Texas government clearly blames the open border policies pursued by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the migrant crisis.
Greg Abbott repeatedly emphasized that illegal immigration affects precisely those states that oppose immigration. "We are sending them to the United States Capitol where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people they are allowing to cross our border," the governor said, pointing out that the White House will thus gain first-hand experience of the consequences of its actions. Texas Representative Davis Spiller, also of the Republicans, said the method could draw attention to the gravity of the border situation. The move quickly paid off:
In Chicago, for example, more than 33 thousand people arrived, and in January, Illinois Governor J B Pritzker called for a halt to the transport of migrants, citing the winter cold.
And Colorado Governor Jared Polis, also of the Democrats, asked for financial help from the US administration.
From Syria and Afghanistan to Brussels? Rising tide of migration
Compared to last year, the number of arrivals at Hungary's southern border has decreased, but according to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), nearly 15 thousand people have chosen the Balkan route so far in 2024. The drop is due to coordinated operations by the Serbian police and gendarmerie at the end of October last year to dismantle accommodation used by migrants. Belgrade decided to toughen up after irregular migration came fully under the control of armed human smugglers, including former Afghan Taliban fighters.
However, the Serb gendarmerie is no longer on the ground, and the migratory pressure keeps growing. While in the first week of 2024, there was only one prevented illegal border crossing, this number rose to 295 in week 31 and 249 in week 32. Migrants arriving at the Hungary-Serbia border mainly come from conflict zones such as Syria and Afghanistan.
