News in Brief Hungarian government to prioritize security, economic growth and family support in 2020 Jan 02, 2020 One of the government’s top priorities this year will be to protect the Hungarian economy and maintain its growth trajectory. The government will launch a new economic protection action plan accordingly.
News in Brief Chief Security Advisor: Migration pressure has increased at Hungary’s southern border Dec 19, 2019 György Bakondi said the Balkan route had witnessed in December the most intense migration activity since the start of the migrant crisis.
Blog Ahmed H. bound for Cyprus. Does this mark the end to this unfortunate saga? Sep 28, 2019 - Zoltán Kovács Ahmed H., the convicted leader of a violent mob of immigrants that tried to storm the Hungarian-Serbian border in 2015, can now return to Cyprus. Hopefully, with this latest, the story finally comes to a close, but let’s not forget what really happened here and what this case means.
News in Brief Border agencies detained more than 700 illegal migrants at the Hungarian-Serbian border in January Feb 05, 2019 “Tight border control is where the stability of Hungary’s domestic security starts,” György Bakondi said
News in Brief FM: The government will not retreat and it will make every effort to protect Hungary’s security Oct 09, 2018 Minister Szijjártó said the people of Europe will decide who wins the battle at next year’s European parliamentary elections
News in Brief Syrian man charged with “acts of terrorism” sentenced to five years in prison Sep 21, 2018 Ahmed H charged with illegal border crossing and complicity in “acts of terrorism”
News in Brief Ahmed H has appeal trial set for September 20th Jun 12, 2018 Ahmed H was sentenced in the Szeged Court of Justice in March to seven years in prison and expelled from Hungary for 10 years
Blog Hey, POLITICO Europe, you left out some important details – like really important details – about the Ahmed H. incident Mar 06, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács When POLITICO Europe published that story this morning on the retrial of a man facing charges in Hungary after an attack on Hungarian border guards, the reporter and editors left a lot out of the story.
News in Brief Hungary’s border fence guarantees the country’s security and stands as a symbol of the fight against illegal migration, says state secretary Feb 13, 2018 Without the border fence, Hungary would have remained on the main route of migration and hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants would be arriving even today, making the country vulnerable to the consequences of migration, Csaba Dömötör said
News in Brief Hungary says it will do everything in its power to close all loopholes open to illegal migration Feb 06, 2018 Zoltán Kovács said that in Hungary’s experience, “self-proclaimed” charity or human rights organizations “operate according to a very different kind of political agenda”
News in Brief Parliament to decide on "Stop Soros" legislative package in February Jan 19, 2018 János Lázár, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, said the government believes it is important that organizations involved in organizing and facilitating illegal immigration with funding from abroad should operate in a more transparent manner
News in Brief Hungary rejects the fact that we should have to live with terrorism, says foreign minister Dec 05, 2017 “Terrorism didn’t use to be part of everyday life in Europe, and Hungary rejects the fact that we should have to live with this, and that this is something natural," Hungary's foreign minister said. “We expect European institutions to finally take action with regard to this issue"
News in Brief Hungary's supreme court finds dismissal in Ahmed H case unlawful Nov 15, 2017 Hungary’s supreme court has ruled that a Szeged appeals court’s dismissal of a first-instance ruling and order of a retrial in the Ahmed H case is unlawful
News in Brief Hungarian government allocates 51 billion HUF for border protection measures up until the end of 2017 Nov 10, 2017 The funds are to ensure that Hungary remains one of the safest countries in Europe and the World, and to protect the country from illegal immigrants
News in Brief Prime Minister PM Orbán: Italy must be helped to protect its borders Oct 20, 2017 PM Orbán suggested that to help Italy tackle migrants arriving from Africa, the establishment of a fund similar to the one previously set up for Turkey, where EU member states would contribute in a similar ratio, would be one solution
News in Brief Prime Minister PM Orbán: Hungary is one of the safest countries in Europe Oct 10, 2017 PM Orbán stressed that security will be one of the greatest values in Europe in the future. Not only the peaceful and predictable lives of families will depend on it but also Hungary’s performance and economic success
Blog Hungary’s southern border fence has been protecting the frontier of Europe for two years Oct 02, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács For two years now, Hungary’s border fence, border patrol forces and stricter laws have dramatically reduced the number of illegal crossings on Europe’s southern border. Our commitment to strong borders is just one of the ways that Hungary fulfills its legal obligations and stands in solidarity with Europe in times of crisis.
Blog The New York Times editors really still don’t get it Sep 11, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács “Hungary is making Europe’s migrant crisis worse,” according to the New York Times editorial board in an op-ed published over the weekend. How?
News in Brief Hungary and Serbia come together to battle terrorism and the migrant crisis Aug 22, 2017 “We will be further increasing the exchange of information between the Serbian and the Hungarian armed forces, so that we can counter illegal migration and terrorism more effectively," Hungary's defense minister said
News in Brief President Áder says we must protect our borders because security is different to what it was ten years ago Aug 21, 2017 “Every Hungarian citizen expects … our nation, home and personal lives to be safe and our freedom and independence to be protected in order to secure our common future,” President Áder said
News in Brief Prime Minister PM Orbán: “A nation that can’t protect its borders is non-existent” Jul 21, 2017 “[O]r even if it exists today,” said Prime Minister Orbán, “it will vanish.” The prime minister, speaking during his regular radio interview this morning, was referring to the dangers of unchecked, illegal migration into Europe and the realization of the “Soros plan.”
News in Brief The way Brussels deals with migrant crisis is endangering the European people Jul 18, 2017 Hungary’s government proposes that the EU should scrap its mandatory migrant quota scheme, the foreign minister said, arguing that the EU is “unfit” to handle the migration crisis and only “aggravates” the situation
Blog An Egg Without a Shell, a Country Without Borders Jul 10, 2017 - Mária Schmidt European history is a history of invasions
News in Brief Hungary aims to be in top 10 of safest countries in the world Jul 07, 2017 Hungary currently ranks 15 out of 163 countries in terms of safety
News in Brief Deputy PM Semjén: We must stop migration to protect Hungary Jun 29, 2017 Deputy PM said we must support Hungarian families, and we must reinforce Christian identity
News in Brief Hungary says efforts must be made to maintain Europe's security Jun 21, 2017 The Salzburg Forum agreed that members would help each other if need be in border protection operations under the coordination of Frontex, the EU’s border protection agency. The participants also agreed to support dispatching Frontex units in Serbia and Macedonia
Blog Borders must be protected Jun 20, 2017 - György Bakondi The migration crisis has besieged Europe for two years, and the terms “migration” and “immigration” have taken on new meaning because of it.
News in Brief Europe is facing the greatest threat of terrorism of all time Jun 20, 2017 Minister Szijjártó said that due to the threat of terrorism "clear speech and determined action are required in the interests of protecting the people of Europe. Recent events have shown that previous integration models have failed and there are huge tensions in European societies"
News in Brief PM Orbán: Hungary is proof that migration can be controlled effectively Jun 19, 2017 PM Orbán said that unless a country has border control and “brave border police” there will be “no welfare, security, order or development just uncertainty, fear, chaos, anger and trucks driving into the people"
News in Brief European left-wing groups rallying to the cause of a convicted terrorist Jun 16, 2017 European left-wing groups have decided to side with Ahmed H. They are attempting to place him on a pedestal, and want to present him as the idealized refugee
Blog Illegal Migration: What is going on in the Mediterranean Sea? Jun 08, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács An interesting video surfaced recently in the deep corners of Youtube, a two-minute clip that uses open-source information on marine traffic to allegedly show how pro-migration NGO vessels are shuttling illegal migrants from the coast of Libya to Italy.
News in Brief Hungary says European Parliament should review measures that exonerate terrorists Jun 08, 2017 “International and European Union organizations must provide concrete replies to the question of whether a terrorist can be exonerated," Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said
News in Brief Hungary says the world is witnessing the birth of a new United States since President Trump came into power Jun 07, 2017 Hungary's foreign minister said “we are living in a new world and a new world order”. It is “good news” for Hungary and the rest of the world that US President Donald Trump is putting national interests first
News in Brief Hungarian authorities detain 123 migrants over past four days Jun 01, 2017 Hungarian police revealed that the offenders did not have passports or any form of identification, and were subsequently escorted back to the Serbian border
News in Brief Europe is in the "eleventh hour" when it comes to acting on security May 31, 2017 “Europe no longer has any time to lose; after the terrorist attack in Manchester, it should be clear to everyone that we are in the eleventh hour when it comes to Europe’s security," Hungary's foreign minister said
News in Brief Hungary's border fence is "not electrified" May 15, 2017 Gyorgy Bakondi, chief security advisor to the Prime Minister, confirmed that the fence was not electrified and such a move had never even been considered
News in Brief Hungary says EU should focus on illegal immigrants rather than "pestering" EU citizens at border checks May 10, 2017 The Hungarian government is temporarily suspending the implementation of the EU regulation on systematic border checks - and will instead be introducing targeted border checks
News in Brief Hungary defends itself against migrant pressure from Brussels May 04, 2017 Hungary does not wish to change its immigration regulations, and if the Brussels Commission launches legal proceedings the government is ready to fight the resulting legal battle
News in Brief Hungarian police officers sent to Serbia and Macedonia to patrol borders May 03, 2017 The police officers will be taking part in joint border defense operations with host countries, with 15 police staff traveling to Serbia and 30 to Macedonia
News in Brief Hungary says it's about time Brussels grasped the facts May 02, 2017 “We expect the Hungarians to be given the respect they have a right to and we draw the attention of the Brussels bureaucrats to the fact that while they are centered on Hungary, the country is defending the borders of the European Union from illegal immigration," the minister said
News in Brief Hungary won't submit to political pressure but will debate legal issues with EU May 02, 2017 Hungary is showing willingness to allow entry to migrants aged 14-18, but only following DNA testing that can definitively prove whether they are indeed members of the given age group
News in Brief Prime Minister PM Orbán: Hungary's second line of defense will guarantee the security of Hungarians for a long time Apr 28, 2017 The 155-kilometer long fortified fence which is being inaugurated today is up to the job of “keeping out any kind of mass of people," PM Orbán said during an interview on Radio Kossuth today
Blog Outrageous: The New York Times compares migrants to the victims of the Holocaust Apr 21, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács Right there on the front page of the print edition, no less.
News in Brief Border security is the key to Hungary's homeland security Apr 18, 2017 Hungary's chief security advisor made the remarks in light of more than eighty people who have started demonstrations in the locality of Röszke. Bakondi said that a "Soros organization” arrived at the scene with organized transport
News in Brief Recent terror attacks emphasize the need for reinforced border Apr 12, 2017 The number of attempts to illegally cross the border have fallen significantly since the stricter regulations were introduced and rather than undergoing checks and being identified, migrants are instead avoiding the Hungarian border and attempting to enter Europe via new routes
News in Brief Hungary sends condolences to Sweden and Egypt following terrorist attacks Apr 10, 2017 “Public safety in Europe has decreased significantly," György Bakondi said
News in Brief Hungary complies with all EU regulations regarding the protection of external borders Apr 07, 2017 Those crossing the border illegally will be granted decent conditions in transit zones in Tompa and Röszke, outside the south borders of Hungary
News in Brief Hungary's police-trained “border rangers” set to aid army at borders Apr 05, 2017 The number of soldiers defending Hungary’s southern border may be reduced once the 3,000-strong contingent of "border rangers" have been trained
News in Brief Hungary's border reinforcements are "working well and without problems" Apr 03, 2017 No one has been able to enter the territory of Hungary illegally since the legal border reinforcement because the authorities have prevented this, and the migrants who were apprehended in the interior of the country were accompanied back to the transit zones
News in Brief PM Orbán: We are getting closer to a sensible migration policy in Europe Mar 29, 2017 The prime minister said Hungary has closed all legal loopholes concerning migration and prepared itself for the possible failure of the migration deal between the EU and Turkey
News in Brief Hungary's new migration policy has seen the number of attempted illegal entries fall dramatically Mar 29, 2017 György Bakondi, the chief security advisor to the prime minister, said the double border fence and “legal border seal” have thwarted attempts to enter the country
News in Brief The Helsinki Committee is attacking the reinforced legal border barrier Mar 29, 2017 The Helsinki Committee is attacking the reinforced legal border barrier - during the course of its overzealous activities it is attacking non-existent container prisons using faulty legal reasoning, according to a statement released today by the Ministry of Interior.
News in Brief PM Orbán congratulates Boyko Borisov on election win Mar 28, 2017 PM Orbán said he is grateful for the excellent cooperation that he and his Bulgarian counterpart have developed in recent years, and he expressed the hope that he will soon be able to welcome Borisov again as head of the Bulgarian government
News in Brief PM Orbán thanks Macedonia for their assistance in protecting Europe by keeping Balkans route sealed Mar 21, 2017 The two leaders held talks at the Parliament building in Budapest on Monday, where they discussed building bilateral relations and the promotion of Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic integration
News in Brief Hungary opens new border barracks Mar 21, 2017 Hungary will open four new barracks. Each one is capable of housing 150 soldiers and will make Hungary’s border protection efforts more effective
News in Brief PM Orbán says second border fence will protect Hungary from renewed migrant crisis Mar 17, 2017 PM Orban said that Hungary's second border fence will keep out the largest of migrant crowds arriving from the direction of Turkey
News in Brief Hungary declares that Brussels’ migration policy is a failure Mar 17, 2017 According to Hungary's foreign minister, Brussels' migration policy is based on half-solutions and has failed. Turkey has suggested that it might terminate its agreement with the EU
News in Brief Hungary rejects Council of Europe commissioner's claims that new migrant rules set a "bad example" for Europe Mar 15, 2017 Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, made the comments after Nils Muizniek claimed Hungary sets a "bad example" for the whole region
News in Brief PM Orbán tells border patrols: "We are still under attack" Mar 07, 2017 The pressure on Hungary’s borders will not cease in the next few years because millions more people are preparing to set off in the hope of a better life, PM Orbán said
News in Brief Hungarian government "categorically rejects' claims of police brutality against migrants Mar 07, 2017 The Hungarian government denies media reports which state refugees who made it to the Serbian-Hungarian border encountered incidents of violence by Hungarian authorities
News in Brief Hungary extends national state of emergency in response to growing migrant crisis Mar 03, 2017 Hungary's state of emergency will run until September 7. The reason to keep it in place is that 800,000 people stuck in the Balkans are unable to return to Turkey
News in Brief Hungarian court convicts seven Syrian and Iraqi men for taking part in migrant riots Mar 01, 2017 The Court of Appeal in the southern city of Szeged has convicted seven Syrian and Iraqi men for their role in a migrant riot at the Röszke border crossing in 2015
News in Brief Hungary defends its now popular migrant policy during LIBE hearing Feb 28, 2017 The Hungarian government expects political conflicts in connection with the second line of defense and Hungary’s new regulations because certain NGOs promote a political agenda at odds with protecting Europe
News in Brief Hungary's secondary line of defense proves effective in stopping illegal migrants Feb 27, 2017 Hungary's experiment with a second border fence along a 10-kilometer stretch of the Hungary-Serbia border has practically stopped all illegal border crossings on that section of the border
News in Brief Hungary to build secondary line of defense along Serbian border Feb 24, 2017 A “significant number” of illegal migrants could arrive in Hungary in 2017. The government will increase the budget of the interior ministry by 38 billion HUF (123.5m euros) to facilitate the construction of the second barrier
News in Brief Hungarians should decide their future not Brussels Feb 14, 2017 The Hungarian government wants the people to decide on issues that define their future rather than “Brussels sneaking in legislation”
News in Brief Central and Southeastern European countries come together to tackle migrant crisis Feb 09, 2017 Ministers from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Hungary, as well as officials of the Central European Defense Cooperation, attended the talks
News in Brief Hungarian government to place new bill before Parliament to reintroduce restrictions on the freedom of movement Feb 08, 2017 János Lázár, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, said that Hungary’s Strategic Cabinet has come to a decision on the amendment of the four acts required to reintroduce restrictions on the freedom of movement of migrants and the bill will soon be put before Parliament
News in Brief Hungary's position of protecting the EU's borders and restoring law and order accepted by EU leaders Feb 07, 2017 “Although the Hungarian government doesn’t like the border security fence”, it has proven to be effective, because it is capable of stopping, or at least slowing illegal immigration, Hungary's government spokesperson said
News in Brief Hungary to send police to Serbia and Macedonia to patrol migration routes Feb 06, 2017 According to Chief Police Commissioner Zsolt Halmosi there will be 15- and 25-person units patrolling in the interests of preventing and discovering attempts to illegally cross the borders
News in Brief Migrant crisis could lead to border fences going up between EU member states Jan 30, 2017 The migrant crisis could lead to a divided Europe where member states raise their own border fences to protect their nations
News in Brief Migrant crisis worsens as largest number of illegal border crossers recorded over weekend Jan 30, 2017 192 attempts to illegally cross the border were registered on Friday, of which 159 were prevented and 33 migrants were accompanied back across the border. On Saturday, 178 people tried to enter Hungary illegally
News in Brief Hungarian police arrest two teenagers en route to join ISIS Jan 16, 2017 György Bakondi, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, said the two women had been on their way to Damascus to join the Islamic State terrorist group
News in Brief More Hungarian police contingents to carry out EU border patrols this year Jan 10, 2017 During a month-long mission, 25 officers will carry out patrol tasks with their Macedonian colleagues on their border with Greece
News in Brief PM Orbán: Migrant crisis depends on border protection Dec 19, 2016 PM Orbán said the external borders must be protected; those who have entered must be returned; and those who want to enter must be guarded and screened for refugee status in territories outside the EU
News in Brief Leaders of the V4 sign MoU on migration Dec 16, 2016 The prime ministers of Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia acknowledged that EU member states were closer to reaching a consensus on the need to protect the bloc’s external borders from migrant inflows
News in Brief PM Orbán: Hungary's stance on immigration is becoming more widely acceptable in the EU Dec 16, 2016 "Positions which were once condemned, despised, looked down upon and treated with contempt are becoming jointly-held positions," PM Orbán said
News in Brief Syrian charged with attacking military guard at Röszke border point Dec 13, 2016 Csongrád County’s prosecution office said the man is charged with carrying out a violent armed attack against a person on public duty
News in Brief PM Orbán: Europe's fate once again depends on Bulgaria's southern border Dec 01, 2016 The Bulgarian prime minister received the Civil Division of the Hungarian Order of Merit in recognition of his efforts to protect Europe’s southern borders, which are also crucial for Hungary’s and Europe's security
News in Brief Syrian terrorist sentenced to ten years in prison Dec 01, 2016 A Hungarian court convicted Ahmed Hamed of committing an "act of terror" by using violence to try to force police into letting in migrants
News in Brief Migrant crisis is not easing Nov 28, 2016 174 illegal border crossers were apprehended on the territory of Hungary between Friday and Sunday
News in Brief Defense chief inspects the Hungarian-Serbian border Nov 23, 2016 Several thousand soldiers patrol the border sections 24 hours a day, participating in search and sweep operations and securing the surveillance of the area of responsibility with UAVs and rotary-wing aircraft
News in Brief Hungary bids farewell to Czech and Polish border patrols Nov 01, 2016 25 Czech and Polish police officers and border guards have patrolled the Hungary-Serbia border since September
News in Brief Hungarian police set off to protect Serbian-Bulgarian border Oct 24, 2016 Since January 2016, 18,028 illegal border crossers have been apprehended along the external Schengen borders of Hungary
News in Brief Terrorists used Hungary as a 'gateway into western Europe' Oct 11, 2016 According to Hungary's center for counter-terrorism, ISIS set up a 'logistics hub' in Hungary in the summer of 2015 at the peak of the migrant crisis
Blog Washington Post reporter lost in translation and bias Oct 11, 2016 - Zoltán Kovács Earlier this month, the Washington Post published an article on page one with the enticing, clickable title, “Hungary intends to stop migrants with ‘hunters’ near border wall,” by their Berlin-based correspondent, Anthony Faiola. Unfortunately, he got a few things wrong.
News in Brief Illegal immigrants surge toward Hungary chanting 'open the borders' Oct 04, 2016 Some 150 migrants marched toward the Hungarian border about 120 miles north of the Serbian capital Belgrade
News in Brief Hungary to send 20 police officers to patrol Serbian border Oct 04, 2016 Hungary’s firm standpoint is that Serbia is prepared for European Union membership and it is in Hungary’s interest that Serbia should join as quickly as possible
News in Brief Nearly 250 illegal immigrants arrested in the past week Oct 03, 2016 108 illegal border crossers were apprehended within the territory of Hungary between Friday and Sunday alone
News in Brief Hungary spends over 300 million euros on Schengen border fence Oct 02, 2016 The cost of the border fence has been footed entirely by Hungary, without support from the EU, despite being hailed as the 'wall that saved Europe'
News in Brief PM Orbán: 'Those who came illegally must be shipped out' then apply for asylum Sep 22, 2016 The PM reiterated that the external borders of the EU must be strengthened to prevent a repeat of the 2015 flow of migrants
News in Brief Hungary is open to helping genuine refugees Sep 16, 2016 Five hundred people last year and three hundred so far this year have received political asylum in Hungary
News in Brief Hungary's border fences are helping to keep illegal immigrants out of Europe Sep 15, 2016 A new fence, electronic surveillance equipment and a paved road for border police are all part of Hungary's continuing efforts to stop the flow of migrants and refugees
News in Brief Luxembourg foreign minister says Hungary should leave EU Sep 13, 2016 Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade for Hungary, says his Luxembourg counterpart had "long left the ranks of politicians who could be taken seriously" and was "patronising, arrogant and frustrated"