The Bulgarian EU Presidency’s proposal that every EU Member State should take part in the mandatory resettlement programme is unacceptable, Csaba Dömötör, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister said.
He stressed that, based on the proposal of the Bulgarian EU Presidency, in excess of a certain number, the distribution of immigrants would set in automatically, without a specific decision. As he added, this would take away the right of Member States to decide whom they wish to let in and whom not. “We are telling everyone who wants to push this plan through that this is out of the question”, he pointed out. He further highlighted that the resettlement plan currently on the table also designates what is at stake in the April elections. What is at stake is whether Hungary will become an immigrant country, he said. “Only the government and the governing parties are able to prevent the resettlement scheme”, the Parliamentary State Secretary underlined.
Download
Mr Dömötör argued that pursuant to the Bulgarian proposal as many as 10,000 immigrants could be relocated to Hungary in the first round, and failure to observe this obligation would be sanctioned with a penalty of HUF 9 million per immigrant.
He stressed this proposal is effectively identical to the plan which George Soros has published in multiple instalments. He said that if resettlement is not made a mandatory element of the relevant EU regime, it will collapse, he pointed out, adding that similar to the current proposal George Soros, too, intended to spend HUF 9 million on each and every immigrant.
To make matters worse, the Parliamentary State Secretary argued, according to the Belgian Prime Minister they want to make a decision on the whole resettlement programme by avoiding the Visegrád countries: instead of a unanimous decision, with a simple majority one. “So much about the importance of democratic values for those who otherwise cite them every other day”, he stated.
Download
According to Mr Dömötör, the government’s position has not changed: the resettlement of immigrants is out of the question, and the borders must be protected with all means possible. The cabinet will argue for this fundamental principle in the debate on the UN’s migration pack as well, he underlined, and said it is concerning that they would make migration and immigration effectively a fundamental right.
The government’s representative also highlighted that every opposition party – whether by collecting signatures, making statements, spreading false information or casting votes – supported the resettlement scheme and the quotas which they now “try to deny hypocritically”. In Mr Dömötör’s view, if the opposition parties were given the opportunity to govern, they would immediately implement the resettlement scheme.
In answer to a question, he said that reports in the media that Fidesz Members of Parliament were instructed not to use George Soros’s name on social media were false.
Download
None of the circumstances have changed, and the government’s measures continue to remain guided by the country’s security considerations. George Soros and his organisations have not disappeared, and the Hungarian government continues its fight against illegal immigration with all available means, he said, highlighting that immigration is the most important issue in Europe.
In his replies Mr Dömötör further mentioned that not a single municipality has the authority to remove hoardings on account of their contents as by doing so they would restrict freedom of opinion.
The Parliamentary State Secretary said in answer to questions that some parties and public figures seek to encourage immigration also locally. He mentioned as an example Gergely Karácsony, candidate for prime minister of MSZP-Párbeszéd, who suggested the opening of unused public buildings to immigrants which the government is firmly opposed to.
Download
In another answer Mr Dömötör said they accept the judgement which was passed against the government in the lawsuit instituted by the Helsinki Committee as a means to contest the national consultation. He observed at the same time that, in their opinion, the organisation’s goal was to frustrate the national consultation, meaning that they sought to prevent the Hungarian people from stating their opinion on immigration, and on top of that to even earn some money with the lawsuit.
(MTI)
