About Hungary beta

News in Brief

FM: Frans Timmermans must take responsibility for the migrant crisis

May 10, 2019

“First Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) Frans Timmermans must take responsibility for the fact that over one and a half million illegal immigrants have come to Europe,” the Foreign Minister said

News in Brief

Hungary in agreement with Italy on migrant crisis

Dec 06, 2018

Hungary's FM said it should be made clear that if someone gets on a human smuggler’s boat in Africa, it does not automatically mean that he or she can get off in Europe

News in Brief

Hungarian police catch 23 illegal entrants as 70,000 migrants head for Europe

Oct 29, 2018

Hungary has 1,200 soldiers standing by, ready to be deployed along the border within 24 hours, and another 1,100 within 72 hours

News in Brief

FM: A new world order is taking shape, bringing with it new security risks

Sep 25, 2018

The foreign minister said the migration problem persisted because “Europe is still incapable of speaking straightforwardly about it or making it clear that only legal entry to Europe is allowed"

News in Brief Prime Minister

Italy has Hungary's upmost respect over the migrant crisis

Jul 16, 2018

The prime minister said the Hungarian government will not be participating in any kind of distribution of immigrants

News in Brief

Hungary calls on EU to increase funding for Central Asia so they can protect their borders against migrants heading for Europe

May 04, 2018

During an international conference on terrorism and curbing extremism in Tajikistan, Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said it is no longer an exaggeration to declare that the security of Europe begins in Central Asia

News in Brief

Hungary's FM: The government’s top priority is to ensure people’s right to safety

Mar 20, 2018

“The Hungarian people have a right to live in security, so that they do not have to be afraid of terrorist attacks and so that they can protect themselves from the security risks of the emergence of parallel societies,” Minister Szijjártó said

News in Brief

The Hungarian government will submit a 12-point proposal to the UN regarding draft package on migration

Mar 02, 2018

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, announced that he will submit the proposal to the head of the UN General Assembly during his opening address to an international conference focusing on the UN’s migration package in Budapest

Blog Prime Minister

Guess who’s talking about “no-go zones”

Feb 28, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

Remember that time back in the autumn of 2016 when the government of Hungary had the audacity to talk about “no-go zones”?

Blog

How are NGOs supporting illegal migration? Part 2

Feb 28, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

Here are some examples of NGOs facilitating illegal migration in Hungary and Europe.

News in Brief Prime Minister

Hungary and Austria agree on ways to tackle migrant crisis

Jan 31, 2018

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that migration poses the greatest threat to Europe’s future, which should be protected

News in Brief Prime Minister

PM Orbán says the EU must help refugees, but “we cannot help the world while destroying our own people”

Jan 15, 2018

PM Orbán said that Syrians fleeing for their lives have the right to enter the first safe state they arrive in, but the EU “let them march into Europe, and suspended all our laws to allow this”

Blog Prime Minister

PM Orbán in Bild: We didn’t want migrants, you did - now accept the consequences

Jan 11, 2018 - Zoltán Kovács

“We didn’t want migrants, you did,” Prime Minister Orbán said in an interview published this week in the German daily Bild, adding that Germany and Angela Merkel’s infamous Wilkommenskultur were at the forefront of support for immigration. Prime Minister Orbán, however, has pushed for a different approach, insisting that the borders of Europe must be protected to preserve the freedoms achieved within the EU and that illegal immigration has a direct impact on security.

News in Brief Prime Minister

PM Orbán says Hungary is doing its part in the migrant crisis by protecting the EU’s Schengen border

Jan 09, 2018

PM Orbán said he does not see those striving to enter the European Union as Muslim refugees but as economic migrants in search of a better life

News in Brief

The EU must provide financial and logistical help to tackle migrant crisis, says former PM of Slovakia

Dec 21, 2017

“Not everything that Orbán or Kaczynski say is foolish,” Mikuláš Dzurinda said. “I often feel that the European administration in Brussels interferes with the member states’ competence and that they are barely consulted"

News in Brief

Hungary's chief security advisor says migrant crisis shows no signs of ending

Dec 01, 2017

György Bakondi said more people are arriving from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sub-Saharan Africa, but are not fleeing war and are setting out for Europe in the hope of a better life because of economic problems in their homeland

News in Brief

Migrant kicker camerawoman banned from Hungary's Parliament

Nov 24, 2017

In a leaked video, Petra László could be seen arguing with György Szilágyi from the far-right Jobbik party after he refused to answer questions for pestisracok.hu

Blog

The European Parliament has decided to carry out the Soros plan

Nov 17, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

Hate to say we told you so, but that moment that Hungary has long been warning against has arrived. The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) has approved a regulation that would introduce a mandatory migrant quota system without an upper limit on the number of migrants. If this regulation is enacted, the European Parliament has approved the permanent quota system and is carrying out the plan of billionaire financier George Soros, seemingly point by point.

News in Brief

President Áder calls for EU to increase funding for Jordan's refugee crisis

Nov 07, 2017

During talks with King Abdullah II, President Áder expressed appreciation for Jordan’s efforts to accommodate refugees as well as its fight against terrorism

News in Brief

Hungary's stance on migration gains strength in the United States

Nov 07, 2017

Hungary's chief security advisor said that the European Union has failed to find a solution to the migrant crisis over the course of two and a half years

News in Brief

Hungary's FM warns EU to accept failure of migrant relocation quotas or face dissent

Oct 09, 2017

Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, blasted the Western EU member states for praising the Commission’s migration policy despite failing to meet its requirements

News in Brief

Hungary's new national consultation survey will contain 7 questions on immigration

Sep 25, 2017

The survey will be distributed in October and will touch on the relocation of a million migrants as well as proposals on border closures. The survey can be filled out online or on paper and returned by post

News in Brief Prime Minister

Hungary and Poland in agreement on the V4, immigration, security, Brexit and the economy

Sep 25, 2017

PM Orbán made it clear that “we accept the decision of immigrant countries to become immigrant countries. We ask them to accept that we do not want to become one”

News in Brief

PM Orbán says “Hungary will never be an immigrant country"

Sep 19, 2017

The prime minister categorized states as either “immigrant” or “non-immigrant countries” in terms of their approach to migration. He also spoke of Hungary's recovering economy and the rise in employment

News in Brief

PM Orbán will travel to Warsaw on September 22 to meet with Poland's prime minister

Sep 19, 2017

Hungary and Poland have a close relationship, and there are many pressing topics that could be on the agenda during the talks, from the migrant crisis to Ukraine's education law impacting minorities

News in Brief

Visegrad Four will remain united throughout the migrant crisis, says foreign minister

Sep 11, 2017

“We will continue to reject illegal migration and to fight against mandatory settlement quotas. We will not let them impose on us a failed and dangerous decision regarding the mandatory settlement quota," Hungary's foreign minister said

News in Brief

PM Orbán holds talks with senate president of Jordan over bilateral relations and migrant crisis

Sep 08, 2017

Both parties agreed that Jordan is instrumental in restoring peace and ensuring stability in the Middle East

News in Brief

Migrant Crisis: Hungary says hotspots should be created on Libyan soil to vet asylum seekers before they reach Europe

Jul 25, 2017

Hungary's foreign minister has called for the revival of an Austro-Italian initiative to get the EU to contribute to the protection of the southern Libyan borders

News in Brief

Hungary will keep its Southern border standing to protect EU from terrorism

Jul 19, 2017

Hungary will only give refugee status to those who have indeed fled countries where their lives were in danger. Hungary’s asylum regulations conform to the Geneva Conventions

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

News in Brief

Italy could open the floodgates for African migrants to head over to Europe

Jul 12, 2017

Italy has threatened to close its ports to refugee rescue ships as it hits breaking point in the growing migrant crisis

News in Brief

Hungary opposes EU plans to set up new asylum agency because it would simplify and accelerate migration

Jul 10, 2017

Hungary’s southern border seal has fulfilled expectations and the pressure of migration has eased but this situation can change at any moment. Analysts in Germany have estimated that around 6.6 million people are ready to set off for Europe

News in Brief

Austria follows Hungary's lead and blocks migrants at border

Jul 05, 2017

Austrian soldiers have been sent to the Italian border to carry out checks on migrants

News in Brief

Hungary meets with Latvia to discuss protecting Europe from migrant crisis

Jun 30, 2017

Latvian members of Parliament signed and issued a declaration in support of Hungary after the European Commission launched infringement proceedings against several countries including Hungary because of their migration policies

News in Brief

Migrant quota dispute against original spirit of the EU

Jun 23, 2017

Zoltán Kovács said the dispute over migrant quotas was unsolvable and attempts to link cohesion funding to the issue were based on a false argument which misled public opinion

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

News in Brief

Hungarian government strongly refutes Martin Schulz’s criticisms of Hungary’s stance on immigration

Jun 15, 2017

Hungary is currently engaged in litigation in relation to the EU migrant quota decision, with Slovakia, Poland and others on side. The quota scheme is “unfair, unlawful and impracticable"

News in Brief

Hungary is ready to battle it out with Brussels over Article 7 proceedings

May 18, 2017

János Lázár, head of the Prime Minister’s Office, has said that the latest developments will only bring Hungarians closer together and ensure that Hungary will fight for its survival

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

NGOs are helping people smugglers ship migrants to Europe

May 08, 2017

“People smugglers are getting migrants into Europe via the Mediterranean with the help of non-governmental organizations," György Bakondi said

News in Brief

Hungary and Tunisia come together to help forge a more stable Middle East

Apr 25, 2017

Both parties have signed a bilateral agreement on Interior Ministry and anti-terrorism cooperation according to which Hungary will be sharing its border control and border security experiences with Tunisia

News in Brief

Italy has evidence that NGOs are helping people-smugglers ship migrants to Europe

Apr 24, 2017

An Italian prosecutor says he has evidence that some of the charities saving migrants in the Mediterranean Sea are colluding with people-smugglers

News in Brief

Migrant crisis is worsening along people-smuggling route in Balkans

Apr 24, 2017

Traffic along the Balkan people-smuggling route has increased, according to Hungary's chief security advisor

News in Brief

Left-wing organizations are trying to deny EU’s quota plan related to illegal immigration

Apr 21, 2017

The government does not wish to let migrants either into Hungary, or into Europe because it takes the view that "this is not the future of the continent”

News in Brief

Hungary says there are organized groups of migrants being sent to Europe

Apr 20, 2017

György Bakondi, chief security advisor to the prime minister, said the way migrants are arriving in Europe shows patterns of organization

News in Brief

Hungary says not enough is being done to protect EU from migrant crisis

Apr 04, 2017

"There are more serious crises emerging and there have been no successful breakthroughs in resolving these issues despite the efforts of the European Union and the international community," Hungary's foreign minister said

Blog

Dear New York Times Editors: You just don’t get it, do you?

Mar 14, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

“Clearly, Mr. Orban is playing the European Union for a patsy,” the New York Times editors write in a piece published yesterday. “At what point will the union have the courage to take action against his policies?”

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

Blog

Putting the rights of illegals before the rights of European citizens is “insane”

Feb 28, 2017 - Zoltán Kovács

Yesterday afternoon, Hungarian Minister of Justice Trócsányi and I were invited to defend the Orbán Government’s policy on migration before the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

News in Brief

Hungary holds talks with Egypt on fighting terrorism and migrant crisis

Feb 22, 2017

Minister Simicskó said there was no security in Europe without stability in Egypt, arguing that instability in that country would trigger the departure of about ten million migrants towards Europe

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