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Foreign Minister accuses Brussels of “openly siding with people smugglers”

Péter Szijjártó said an “internationally organized” and politically-backed human smuggling operation was being carried out on the Mediterranean.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has accused Brussels and “certain western European EU member states” of “openly siding with people smugglers”.

According to MTI, the Minister argued that an “internationally organized” and politically-backed human smuggling operation was being carried out on the Mediterranean.

“Brussels and certain western member states of the European Union have revealed themselves,” Minister Szijjártó said during a break in a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels. “Because while it has become clear that migration can be stopped not only on land but also on the Mediterranean Sea, they are continuously and openly encouraging human smuggling.”

The Minister said it had become clear that Brussels and certain western EU member states had an interest in having more and more migrants come to Europe. Minister Szijjártó cautioned that “the forces organizing migration are on the offensive again”, adding that “the EU member states supporting this have openly sided with the people smugglers.”

Minister Szijjártó said Europe had two options as regards migration: the continent could either choose to “side with the people smugglers” or require that everyone enter the continent legally.

The Minister stressed that human smuggling and support of “civil groups involved in human smuggling activities” would set off new migration waves towards Europe. “These policies encourage people to pay human smugglers and board ships, since a civilian human smuggling vessel will save them anyway and take them to an Italian or a Maltese port,” the Minister said.

Photo credit: hirado.hu