The head of the Prime Minister’s Office said Hungary considers the support of Christian communities a priority in a Europe “that is becoming increasingly afraid to embrace its Christian roots”.
Addressing an international conference on migration organized by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung on Wednesday, Gergely Gulyás said Europe has a duty to support Christian communities, as European cooperation is the legacy of Christian Democratic politicians.
According to MTI, Gulyás said the Hungary Helps humanitarian program was established as a way of setting a positive example to the world of how to support Christian communities.
The minister noted that there were a lot of disagreements in Europe at the time of the 2015 migration crisis, including between Hungary and Germany. However, those disagreements had become secondary compared to the widespread agreement on certain issues like the need for border protection, guaranteeing refugee status and distinguishing between the issues of asylum and immigration.
Minister Gulyás said Hungary does not want to give anyone advice in connection with migration, it wants to share its experiences. “We have a clear position on illegal migration, the protection of our shared borders and that we don’t wish to resolve our demographic problems through immigration.”
The minister said Hungary respected the decision of those countries that see immigration as an important element in the preservation of their society. However, he said, Hungary has chosen a different path and favors family policy instead.
Finally, Minister Gulyás urged joint European efforts in addressing the root causes of migration. He said Hungary has increased its contributions to development cooperation four-fold compared with 2004, adding that the country transfers 61 percent of those funds to those in need in collaboration with the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank.