Starting on September 16, Germany will tighten controls across its land borders to curb irregular migration, a move meant to protect the country from security risks and maintain public order. But let’s be clear: This isn’t just a German issue—it’s a Schengen-wide issue. And, as we’ve said since the migration crisis in 2015, if the European Union fails to secure its external borders, the free movement within the Schengen Area cannot be sustained. With Germany’s new approach, it seems our long-standing warnings have become an undeniable reality.
The Hungarian government has always emphasized that the key to protecting the integrity of the Schengen Area lies in robust external border protection. In fact, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made this crystal clear as early as 2015: Without secure external borders, Schengen will collapse. Today, as internal border checks are reinstated in Germany, it is hard to ignore the fact that we’ve been right all along.
Yet, despite this, we still see double standards in how our border protection efforts are treated by Brussels. While Hungary is fined and criticized for defending its borders, others, like Germany, face no such backlash when they implement similar measures. The hypocrisy is glaring.
Why is it that when we uphold our borders, we are penalized, but when other EU nations do the same, it is somehow justified?
What’s more, Hungary has spent around €2 billion safeguarding the EU’s external frontier, and we did so without any financial support from the European Union. The fact that we are expected to shoulder this burden alone, while other member states benefit from our efforts without contributing, is simply unacceptable. We have been and remain committed to protecting our national security and the integrity of Europe as a whole, but we will not shy away from seeking compensation for these efforts. And we’re ready to engage in a legal battle with Brussels, should it come to that point.
Germany’s recent border control announcement confirms a hard truth: Without secure external borders, internal controls will inevitably fail. As Hungary has maintained for nearly a decade, the Schengen Area can only function if Europe’s external borders are secure. We have told you this repeatedly, and now the evidence is right before your eyes.
As for us, we will continue to defend Hungary’s borders and work towards fair and sensible migration policies that both reflect the will of our people and ensure the security of Europe overall.