“Hungary will not be conforming to a single point of the Global Compact for Migration”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at a meeting with Secretary General of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) António Vitorino in Geneva on Wednesday.
At a press conference following the meeting, the Minister told reporters said that he had made it clear that the Compact is fully at odds with Hungary’s interests because it inspires migration instead of aiming to stop migration processes.
“The UN is committing the same crime as the European Union committed with the mandatory quotas: it is practically equal to an invitation”, he said, adding that in the meantime there are some 30-35 million people living in the vicinity of Europe who, as a result of their life situation, could easily make the decision to leave their homes.
“We will not pay so that training courses can be held for future migrants, (…) we will not keep secret the fact that mass migration has major security consequences, and we will not provide migrants with the same services as tax-paying Hungarian citizens”, the Minister stressed.
There are one or two points with relation to which Hungary and the IOM can cooperate, Mr. Szijjártó said.
Of these, he mentioned helping Middle Eastern Christians communities to return home, and the fight against people smuggling.
“The Global Compact also favours the business of people smugglers, while the international community should be concentrating on dismantling their network”, Mr. Szijjártó said.
While in Geneva, the Hungarian Minister also attended the Afghanistan Conference, on which he stated that Afghanistan and the Central Asian region are playing an important role with relation to European Security in view of the fact that terrorist organisations have established a foothold there and the region is also the starting point for extremist ideologies. Accordingly, it is also possible that a wave of migration will set out for Europe from there, he said.
Mr. Szijjártó told the press that in Geneva he had also met with his counterpart from Tajikistan, with whom he had discussed the same issues.
“Hungary is in negotiation with the Central Asian country with relation to the finalisation of several agreements concerning security and cooperation to combat crime”, he highlighted.
In his speech at the Conference, the Foreign Minister said that Hungary will be increasing its role in reinforcing Afghan security. “For instance, the current contingent of 106 Hungarian soldiers deployed in the NATO mission will be reinforced by a further 30 next year, in addition to which Hungary will also be continuing to finance the training of Afghan security forces with a contribution of half a million dollars-a-year.
(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)
