Hungary has prevented more than 1.1 million illegal migrants from entering Europe over the past ten years, using its own border fence and police forces, Prime Minister’s Chief Security Advisor György Bakondi stated in an interview on TV2’s Mokka.
Bakondi emphasized that despite these efforts, Hungary has not received political or financial support, “not even a good word,” only criticism and fines for blocking illegal entry. “Here we are clearly facing a double standard,” he said, recalling that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán recently wrote to the President of the European Commission to again demand reimbursement of Hungary’s border protection costs and an end to this unequal treatment.
He also referred to the tenth anniversary of the so-called “Battle of Röszke,” when groups of “incited illegal migrants” attacked Hungarian border forces in 2015 in an attempt to break through. “It became clear then that illegal migration was organized, directed and financed,” he noted.
Bakondi criticized earlier narratives in European media portraying migration as positive, arguing that instead of professionals, terrorists had also arrived, some of whom carried out the Paris attacks. He underlined that Hungary’s physical and legal border barriers remain effective safeguards.
Pointing to recent remarks and actions by EU leaders, including visits to the Polish-Belarusian border and support for border fencing, Bakondi suggested a shift may be underway. “Sooner or later, the European Union will have to recognize that Hungary is defending its external borders, and a solution must be found to support this effort,” he concluded.