Hungary has confirmed that it will only take back migrants who entered the European Union through its country, Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foriegn Affairs and Trade, has said.
Following comments made by Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka, where he said that Austria would go to court if Hungary refused to take back asylum seekers, Minister Szijjártó said that “Hungary’s position is clear and unchanged. We will take back only those who first entered the EU in Hungary.”
He added that illegal migrants have “obviously” entered the EU in other countries and the fact that they failed to register there is no excuse.
The decline in the number of illegal migrants arriving in Austria is thanks to stricter border protection in Hungary, he said. “Anyone who criticizes a country for protecting Europe and therefore Austria is on the wrong track,” Szijjártó added.
The key is in Turkey, where it is crucial to manage relations for European security and anyone who attacks Turkey undermines this. The European Union has “entrusted Ankara with the continent’s security” by signing the migration agreement with Turkey, he said, blaming EU decisionmakers for “putting Europe in such a vulnerable situation”.
But “once we are in that situation” EU institutions and politicians “shouldn’t further aggravate it by weakening Turkey’s government and president with criticism," he concluded.