Answering an inquiry by print and online media Magyar Idők, the Prime Minister’s Office said Hungary has yet to receive the EUR 54 million transfer the European Commission promised in August to offset part of the additional costs incurred by Hungary due to the migration crisis since 2015.
Gergely Gulyás, minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office announced at the end of August that the European Commission – after Hungary asked for a partial reimbursement of the total EUR 324 million it spent on protecting its borders which are also the borders of the Schengen area – has agreed to contribute EUR 54 million to the costs, while it would decide later about the remaining 270 million.
Magyar Idők reports that the money has not arrived yet. The latest official figures show that since the beginning of the migration crisis in 2015 Hungary has spent a total of HUF 373.5 billion on border defense.
An informal meeting of the EU member states’ leaders begins today in Salzburg, Austria, with Brexit and the migration crisis at the top of the agenda.
