Hungary’s foreign minister has said the government’s top priority is to ensure people’s right to safety.
During the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva, Péter Szijjártó, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said a government report on migration found that because of a history filled with freedom fights, Hungarians value human rights.
The minister added that every government has a duty to protect its citizens’ right to safety, work and home creation.
“The Hungarian people have a right to live in security, so that they do not have to be afraid of terrorist attacks and so that they can protect themselves from the security risks of the emergence of parallel societies,” Minister Szijjártó said.
The minister noted that in 2015, 400,000 illegal migrants had passed through Hungary “ignoring national and international regulations” and Hungarian behavioral and moral norms. He said this is why Hungary’s government says no to any initiative that promotes or encourages illegal migration.
He added that because of this position, Hungary has been the target of international criticism. He also noted that Hungary had rejected the European Union’s migrant quota scheme and opposes the United Nations’ package on migration in its current form.
The minister said that the Hungarian government guarantees the people their right to safety. It has not and will not take in illegal migrants. He cited the link between migration and the terrorist attacks carried out in western Europe over the last two years as a prime example.
Minister Szijjártó said the Hungarian government had also guaranteed the people the right to express their opinion through the “National Consultation” surveys and the referendum on migrant quotas. The Hungarian people said no to illegal migration in both instances, he said.
The minister added that the government will continue to do everything in its power to ensure that only the Hungarian people can decide who they want to live with and who should or should not be admitted to Hungary.