Hungary is participating in stopping and managing the immigration that is affecting Europe in excess of its economic strength. In contrast to many other European countries, Hungary has conformed to EU regulations throughout, is protecting the European Union’s Schengen borders and is registering and separating refugees of war from economic immigrants.

Official border crossing points have remained open throughout; people who come to submit requests for asylum have been able to do so and will continue to be able to do so. Last year, the number of asylum seekers exceeded 177 thousand, with 23 thousand requests for asylum submitted so far this year. The state must spend 140 thousand forints to care for each asylum seeker every month, meaning it must spend twice the minimum wage of a Hungarian worker on every single asylum seeker, in addition to which the Hungarian Government is also assuring the care and institutional accommodation of children left behind by immigrants out of its own pocket, to which Brussels has not contributed one cent. Accordingly, Hungary is participating in the care of asylum seekers actively and in excess of its own economic strength, not to mention the costs of protecting the EU’s Schengen borders.

The Hungarian Government is nevertheless prepared to undertake these costs and expenses if this is the price that must be paid for the security of the people of Hungary and Europe, but rejects in the strongest terms possible the fining of countries that reject compulsory resettlement. Brussels’ plan for the compulsory resettlement of immigrants and for imposing fines is unacceptable and contravenes both EU Regulations and the Basic Treaty of the European Union. The Brussels politicians have simply lost touch with reality and with their voters; they are asking for as much money for an immigrant as an average Hungarian earns over the space of 40 years. Brussels wants to charge 78 million forints for a single immigrant, while spending just 1 million on each Hungarian citizen. If it is allowed to impose fines of this magnitude Brussels will take away for example the pay rise programme for public servants, the home creation programme and family tax benefits. But this would be just the beginning, since Brussels’ plans relate to a permanent distribution mechanism; nobody knows in advance how many immigrants are waiting to enter the continent and nobody knows when immigration will end; thousands of new immigrants are arriving from Africa every day.

(Government Information Centre)