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FM: Brussels' migration policies present a danger to Europe and are harmful to Africa

Following talks with Osman Saleh Mohammed, the foreign minister of Eritrea, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that Africa needed peace, security and economic development in order to retain its population

The foreign minister has said that the policies Brussels wants to enforce accept migration an even encourage it - it presents a danger to Europe and is harmful to Africa.

Following talks with Osman Saleh Mohammed, the foreign minister of Eritrea, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said that Africa needed peace, security and economic development in order to retain its population.

The minister said Hungary disagreed with the European Union position that migration was an unavoidable consequence of the situation in Africa and that it was right to encourage migration trends.

Minister Szijjártó said Hungary is in agreement with Eritrea that mass exoduses from Africa put development there at risk. Africa must be helped so that people stay there instead of going to Europe, he added.

The minister also pointed out that neither Hungary nor Eritrea support the UN Global Compact for Migration, which fails to make a distinction between illegal migrants and refugees. The UN is trying to bring back the migration compact that more than forty member states have rejected, he added.

In order to help economic development in Eritrea, Hungary supported the lifting of European Union sanctions against the country last year. Hungary has also made it clear in the UN Human Rights Council that it appreciated efforts by Eritrea to guarantee human rights.