“EU migration policy requires a fundamental ideological change, because it currently concentrates on how to motivate more people to immigrate, and then how to distribute them”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a telephone statement to Hungarian news agency MTI in the recess of today’s meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg.

“In Hungary's view the most important task is not the distribution, but the reduction of burdens”, Mr. Szijjártó said. “We must strive to assure that as few illegal migrants as possible arrive in Europe. We must reduce the number of migrants to an absolute minimum”, the Minster said.

Re-entry efforts are not working or are only achieving a very restricted level of success, because “the situation is that once someone has entered the European Union illegally they will most certainly remain here”, he declared.

“Hungary believes the right course of action is for the decision on who is eligible to enter the EU and receive asylum status to be made outside the territory of the European Union”, Mr. Szijjártó said, with relation to which he stressed: “future agreements with African countries must include the fact that refugee registration centres, so-called hot spots, will be established within the territory of these countries. In these centres, EU officials will decide on eligibility based on EU regulations and under conditions that are guaranteed by local and international forces”.

If we are not successful in establishing hot spots outside the territory of the European Union, “then the problem with remain here with us”, he said, adding that “Hungary is ready to contribute to the operation of these centres”.

On the subject of visa-free travel for Georgian and Ukrainian citizens, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said the European Union is pursuing policies that are mistaken and lack credibility, since both countries have fulfilled EU requirements.

The European Union is endangering the political stability of the Eastern Partnership and of its own eastern neighbourhood, as well as the credibility and support of political forces that are committed to the European Union, by “continuing to refuse to afford visa-free travel despite the fact that both countries had fulfilled the necessary expectations and requirements”, he said.

If some states see that they fulfil every requirement but receive no positive feedback then they will not adapt to EU expectations in future”, he added.
On the subject of Middle East peace processes, Mr. Szijjártó said Hungary supports direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

According to the Foreign Minister, a two-state solution must be achieved in the interests of a permanent peace, which is also of extreme importance to Europe’s security. “Recent experience indicates that there is a close correlation between the stability of the Middle East and Europe’s peace and security”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)