Balazs Orban: Europe’s Migration Crisis Could Lead to Civil War

The Hungarian prime minister’s political director warned on GB News about the future facing Europe if the migration crisis is not brought under control. Balazs Orban cautioned that if the problem remains unresolved, even a civil war scenario cannot be ruled out on the continent.

Speaking in an interview with GB News, Balazs Orban addressed Europe’s prospects and the issue of illegal migration. According to the prime minister’s political director, failure to settle the migration question could ultimately lead to civil war in Europe.

According to Balazs Orban, the migration crisis could even lead to civil war (Photo: ZHANG YUWEI / XINHUA)

Orban told the outlet that Britain’s situation serves as a clear warning for Hungary as well. He said the time may soon come when conservative governments join forces to change asylum and migration rules. 

At the same time, he noted that the British Labour Party shows no interest in cooperating with Budapest on the issue.

The report recalled that at the peak of the 2015 migration crisis, a total of 138,396 migrants—mostly from Syria—crossed the Serbian–Hungarian border illegally. After the construction of the border fence, however, that figure dropped dramatically to just 152 cases. The article’s author personally visited Hungary’s southern border to see firsthand the effectiveness of border protection.

‘You have to prevent the problem in the first place, before people slip through the net.’

GB News Presenter Miriam Cates discusses the anti-immigration measures put in place at the Hungary-Serbia border ahead of her visit later today.

📺 Freeview 236, Sky 512, Virgin 604 pic.twitter.com/rpFAfyxTqc

— GB News (@GBNEWS) January 9, 2026

In her report, Miriam Cates emphasized that the Hungarian government quickly recognized it was far easier to stop the process before it becomes unmanageable, since once migrants enter the country, it is difficult to remove them.

The outlet also recently launched a poll asking the British public whether the United Kingdom should introduce Hungarian-style immigration restrictions.

POLL: Should Britain have a Hungarian-style immigration crackdown? https://t.co/X1EnEbxYWl

— GB News (@GBNEWS) January 9, 2026

Balazs Orban also addressed what he called the contradiction in framing migration exclusively as a matter of human rights. In his view, human rights do not apply only to migrants: Hungarians have the same fundamental right for their homeland to preserve its cultural character and identity.

While he declined to offer direct advice to Britain on migration policy, Mr Orban highlighted Australia as another Anglo-Saxon country that, like Hungary, made it clear that those attempting to reach the country by boat would not succeed. This form of legal and political deterrence, he said, has proven effective.

In closing, Orban reiterated that if Europe fails to find a solution to migration and cannot integrate the large numbers of migrants who have already arrived, even a civil war situation could easily erupt.

Addressing the war in Ukraine, the Hungarian prime minister’s political director also said he views it as a serious escalation that the so-called “coalition of the willing” would send troops into the country. According to Orban, it is clear that ending the conflict requires diplomatic efforts—something that is impossible if Europe refuses to negotiate with Russia.

Cover photo: Balazs Orban, political director to the Hungarian prime minister (Photo: AFP)