The European Commission’s plans related to the management of migration are contrary to that which the government of Hungary and the Hungarian people hold; they seek to turn Europe into an immigrant continent, but this is something that Hungary does not agree with, Zoltán Kovács, Minister of State for International Communication and Relations told journalists on Monday.
The politician recalled: in the past few days the government has pointed out on a number of occasions how the European Commission and European institutions deny the plainly evident, namely, the plans and concepts regarding illegal migration which are valid to this day.
He stressed that one element of the series of concepts is the system of migrant bank cards, a support mechanism which they created in cooperation with the UN’s various sub-agencies, by effectively avoiding and without consulting the most important decision-making forums. Based on the data recently published alone, more than 60,000 people received grants of this nature in January, and they have spent more than EUR 110 million, a sum in the magnitude of around HUF 40 billion on this programme so far, the Minister of State added.
According to Mr Kovács, the migrant bank cards raise a great many questions, and also reveal that this is a scheme that seeks to transform illegal migration into legal migration, even if these benefits are provided for people who are already in the territory of the European Union. “The attitude of the European Union, the goal they identify when they say that they provide these cards in order to help people reach the interior of the European Union within the shortest possible time is quite revealing,” he said.
He took the view that they have created a system in respect of asylum seekers arriving as illegal migrants whose sole purpose is to manage the process, and to transport migrants into the interior of Europe, the more the better.
The Minister of State added that the migrant (humanitarian) visa and the mandatory resettlement quotas which the European Parliament continues to refuse to remove from the agenda constitute further elements of the scheme.
He also said that the fifth migration forum organised by the European Commission will be held at the beginning of April, and while in name the topic of the forum is the integration of those who are already in Europe, in the invitation they ponder how to create safe and permanent pathways for migrants to the European Union.
Mr Kovács was also asked regarding news reports that the Croatian Peasant Party is leaving the European People’s Party because they do not want to remain in a party alliance with people like Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, among others. The Minister of State said that if it is true that the Croatian Peasant Party is seeking to join the greens group of which Mrs Sargentini is an active member, then that in itself says it all. “The question that begs to be asked more is what they have done in the People’s Party to date,” he observed.
In answer to the question as to whether the government is concerned about the “turbulence” related to Fidesz in the European People’s Party, Mr Kovács said that they are not concerned because everything they talk about is true.
In answer to another question, he said he is not aware of an organised bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker at the EU-Arab League summit held at the weekend.
Regarding news reports that the political party Momentum is covering up the government’s hoardings, Mr Kovács said vandalising government advertisements is not a fundamental right.
The Minister of State said in response to a question relating to Jobbik’s new Member of Parliament that the fundamental nature of Jobbik has not changed: it is the Nazi, extremist party that it always was.
(MTI)
