Don’t let disinformation campaigns fool you, Hungary is welcoming ALL refugees

Even at a time when war’s raging next door, the opponents of the Hungarian government and Prime Minister Orbán don’t seem able to hold back.

In what could be best described as an endless flow of fake news reports, certain international media outlets have been spreading lies about Hungary: about our handling of refugees coming from Ukraine, our stance on sanctions against Russia, and our policy on prohibiting the transit of weapons through Hungary.

Some outlets even published reports on a referendum allegedly organized by ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia to, wait for it, join Hungary.

It’s time to look at the facts.

On Hungary’s attitude towards refugees arriving at our borders from Ukraine, Prime Minister Orbán declared that “all refugees who come from a neighboring country must be helped.” It doesn’t matter why, it doesn’t matter who’s to blame, and it doesn’t matter how it all happened: Anyone fleeing from Ukraine must be helped. According to the PM, “this is an elementary, human, Christian instinct for life.”

And Hungary is following through on this promise: As a first step, the Hungarian government earmarked HUF 600 million worth of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, besides the more than HUF 200 million in support already gathered through the 1357 national helpline. What’s more, the government is supporting charity organizations, including the Hungarian Red Cross and Hungarian Interchurch Aid, with no less than HUF 1.35 billion. Additionally, just a few days after the outbreak of the war, Foreign Minister Szijjártó announced that Hungary is bringing 100,000 liters of fuel and 30 tons of food to the war-torn regions.

According to the latest reports, more than 120,000 people have safely arrived in Hungary from Ukraine since last Thursday. In a video statement made from the border earlier today, Prime Minister Orbán confirmed that “the unity is enthusiastic, broad and complete,” and Hungary now has an “orderly way of dealing with refugees.” PM Orbán didn’t visit the border alone, his wife, a goodwill ambassador of Hungarian Interchurch Aid, went to Transcarpathia to assess the situation on the Ukrainian side of the border.

Press reports that claim Hungary is turning away people arriving at its borders simply don’t square with reality. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s what Viktor Mikita, the governor of Transcarpathia said: “Hungary is sending a huge amount of humanitarian aid to the country, ranging from fuel to basic items.” Mikita also called upon the authors of false reports to stop spreading fake news about Hungary.

Sadly, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Fake news reports also claimed that Hungarian military planes are allegedly delivering weapons to Ukraine.

Let’s get something straight: No Hungarian aircraft is carrying weapons to Ukraine. There are three NATO aircraft participating in NATO operations that are registered in Hungary and thus bearing the national flag, but Hungary has no impact on the missions of these aircraft. As PM Orbán said, “at the moment we need all the weapons the Hungarian army possesses – for our deployment on the country’s eastern borders and to be able to defend our borders if necessary.”

Meanwhile, some commentators argued that Hungary is blocking certain sanctions against Russia.

Again, they couldn’t be further from reality. In fact, Hungary stands 100 percent in alignment with joint EU and NATO efforts. We’re doing no less than what the EU position calls for. And it’s not dependent on Hungary to do more. Hungary’s commitment to the joint EU and NATO response cannot be questioned. We might not agree with everything, but, as PM Orbán said a few days ago, "now is not the time to be smart, but to be united."

I saved my personal favorite for last: A handful of pro-Russia websites claimed that Hungarians in Transcarpathia are organizing a referendum to join Hungary.

It goes without saying that this is pure nonsense. Reports like this are aimed at inciting hatred against ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. We must be careful with such stories, as they could potentially lead to increasing tensions between the Hungarian and Ukrainian communities in Transcarpathia.