Hungary's foreign minster has said that the government believes illegal migration poses a serious security threat to Europe.
During an interview on the BBC Hardtalk program last night, Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said it was highly problematic that the European Union failed to get the migrant situation under control at the start of the crisis.
Minister Szijjártó said the effects of this can already be seen, arguing that more than 1.5 million illegal migrants had entered the EU unchecked, which he called “unacceptable”.
MTI reports that the minister cited the threat of terrorism in Europe as one of the gravest consequences of illegal migration.
He said Hungary had contributed millions of euros to the implementation of the EU-Turkey migration deal and had spent more than 15 million euros on supporting Christian communities in Syria, the Iraqi Kurdish region and Lebanon.
The minister also rejected the UN high commissioner’s claim that Hungary had violated both international and EU laws with its handling of refugees, arguing that Hungary had complied with all international norms and its international obligations.
Minister Szijjártó said that 400,000 illegal migrants had passed through the Hungary in 2015 and the Hungarian government had since then spent 800 million euros on protecting the Schengen area for which he said it received “zero help” from the EU.