PM Orban: Brussels Has Tried Many Things on Migration, but This One Goes Too Far

An entirely new situation has emerged on migration, Viktor Orban said. According to Hungary's prime minister, the European Union has adopted a decision under which Hungary would be required to accept migrants from the West — or face heavy financial penalties.

Viktor Orban posted a video on his social media page in which he said that a completely new chapter has begun in Europe when it comes to migration. The prime minister stated that Hungary has faced many challenges related to migration in the past, but the current situation is without precedent.

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban (Photo: MTI)

In the video, PM Orban explains that an unprecedented situation has arisen in the migration issue.

According to Mr. Orban, while Hungary is protecting Europe from illegal immigration, it is nevertheless being forced to pay a fine of one million euros per day because it refuses to let migrants enter the country.

He emphasized that while migration pressure previously came from the south, the current decision represents an attack from the west. Viktor Orban said this opens an entirely new chapter in the history of migration, as the European Union would direct migrants to Hungary from countries located to its west — countries that were unable or unwilling to protect themselves, allowing migrants to enter.

“They are sending them to us from the west, and if we do not take them in — we are talking about hundreds of migrants — then we have to pay,

– he said, adding:

I regret that there is no national unity on this issue, because the opposition DK and Tisza parties have supported this migration pact in the past and continue to support it now, meaning they would contribute to bringing migrants to Hungary from the west. This puts everything in a new light. It is clear that migration will be a key issue in the April election. Will we resist, will we rebel against the decision from Brussels, or will Hungary’s political parties accept Brussels’ pressure and decision and allow migrants to enter from the west? This will be one of the stakes — one of the biggest stakes — of the election,

– PM Orban emphasized in the video.

Cover photo: Hungarian PM Viktor Orban (Photo: AFP)