In order to protect Europe’s future, a radical change is needed in Brussels’ migration policy, which should respect international law and not punish those who act in accordance with it, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Madrid on Tuesday.
“Given that the terrorist threat in Africa is more serious than ever and economic development is struggling to keep pace with population growth, we can see that illegal migration pressure will continue to increase in Europe,”Szijjártó warned.
“If Brussels’ pro-migration policy is maintained, there is a real risk that Europeans will lose Europe, because Brussels’ migration policy is attracting people here,” he added.
Following his meeting with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares, Szijjártó said that Spain, Belgium and Hungary will form a so-called trio of rotating presidencies within the EU, in which Madrid will assist Budapest in certain areas that are not within the scope of Hungarian interest and expertise in the normal course of business.
The importance of this, Hungary’s foreign minister said, is heightened by the very serious challenges facing the continent today, one of which is illegal immigration, according to Hungarian news outlet Magyar Hirlap.
As Szijjártó pointed out, this is illustrated by the fact that last year the number of migrants arriving in Spain increased by 82 percent compared to 2022, while in the Canary Islands region there was a 6.5-fold increase this year compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, Hungary is also under increasing pressure, with authorities preventing 170,000 illegal border crossings last year.
Szijjártó stressed that the country’s that protect their borders are adhering to international law and should not be punished for doing their duty.
He said that international law is very clear that those who are forced to flee may stay temporarily in the first safe country, but no one has the right to enter the second, third or fourth safe country.
“So the European Union should respect international law, not punish those who respect it, so that it would be easier to cope with migratory pressures,” he said.
