The European Union’s leaders’ judgement has been impaired, and they fail to see the fact that there is a close correlation between illegal immigration and terrorism, Bence Tuzson said at the conference Where is Europe heading? – Findings of the Project 28 research organised by the Századvég Foundation.

The State Secretary responsible for government communication at the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister stressed in reference to the survey of the institution that, in the opinion of the European people, the Brussels decision-makers’ immigration policy has failed, and the adjustment of this policy is the single most important question of the past decades with an impact on the next 50 to 100 years.

Mr Tuzson believes that the European Commission’s proposals are, on the one hand, incapable of solving the problem and, on the other hand, place Europe, and Hungary in it, at risk as with the distribution of illegal immigrants based on quotas it effectively sends an invitation out to the millions of people heading for Europe. He mentioned as an example that in Libya alone some 1 million people would like to come over to Europe, while in Turkey there are 3 million people waiting in different camps.

The State Secretary highlighted that the distribution of migrants spreads the inherent risks throughout Europe.

Mr Tuzson mentioned the increased risk of terrorism is one of these threats as based on German service reports, "minimum 2 to 3 thousand potential sleeper cells” arrived in Europe in the flow of immigration.

The politician further mentioned that the European integration of the migrants who came earlier was likewise unsuccessful, and in his view this is testified to by the facts that there is a particularly high unemployment rate and a high crime rate among them. Mr Tuzson specifically mentioned that they are committing crimes – for instance, violent acts against women – in higher numbers which were not previously typical.

The State Secretary found it unacceptable that the European Commission is planning to accept György Soros’s proposal on the quotas and the financing thereof, based on which a new European petrol tax could be levied, and the common agricultural subsidies could be cut. In this case, Hungarian businesses and farmers should pay for the care of migrants, he argued.

Mr Tuzson stressed that only the people’s voice can change this intention of Europe’s leaders, and this is why the Government believed that it was necessary to consult the people under any circumstances and this is why the Government finds it important that people in the largest possible numbers should take part in the quota referendum.

According to the Cabinet’s representative, immigration policy could have an impact on the next 50 to 100 years, and consequently, this may be regarded as the single most important question in Hungary after the change of regime, the effects of which even take precedence in significance over the country’s EU and NATO accession.

The State Secretary further argued: it is a fundamental problem that Europe’s leaders call everyone refugees, without making any distinction. Mr Tuzson takes the view, however, that Europe can only preserve its unity if it returns to the protection of its fundamental values: in this case, to the principle of only treating those as refugees who genuinely are refugees. "If we fail to do so, Europe will fall apart”, he said, adding that with the correct management of the problem, Europe can be rescued and we may live on a better continent thereafter.

(MTI)