Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has revealed that more Hungarians have been repatriated than at any other point in the country’s history.
By Tuesday morning, the foreign ministry has aided the return of 7,995 Hungarian citizens from 166 countries and is currently organizing the return of 928 more people.
According to MTI, Minister Szijjártó said the European Union has so far helped out with the repatriation of 200 Hungarians, which is 2.5 percent of the total number of people brought home.
Concerning the borders closed down due to the pandemic, Minister Szijjártó noted that as a basic rule, only Hungarian citizens were being allowed into the country. However, some 12,000 freight trucks enter Hungary on a daily basis of which 6,400 are transit traffic, he said, adding that Hungary has allowed numerous central and eastern Europeans to pass through on their way home from western European countries.
Minister Szijjártó also highlighted the importance of aiding other countries in the region, arguing that if they were to weaken, they would not be able to resist the rising migration pressure from the Western Balkan route.
The minister also underlined the importance of preserving economic cooperation with neighboring countries in the border regions, noting that Hungary has agreed to open some of its border crossings to daily commuters.
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