“The political statement adopted in Marrakech on Wednesday is pro-immigration in the extreme and is at odds with Hungary’s interests, and accordingly Hungary has not accepted the document”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in a telephone statement to Hungarian news agency MTI on Wednesday.

Mr. Szijjártó told the press that the so-called Rabat Process, which was launched ten years ago, has deviated from its original course, since the original goal of the Rabat Process was to stop migration processes from Africa to Europe through the effective use of European resources.

The Minister, who took part in Wednesday’s migration conference, said that representatives of the African and European countries involved had adopted a statement that was pro-immigration in the extreme, and instead of dealing with how to stop migration processes places emphasis on “inspiring” further migration, and sets as its goal the establishment of new channels for immigration.

“This statement is totally at odds with the interests of Europe and Hungary”, Mr. Szijjártó said, adding that Wednesday’s debate also fits into the series of international debates that are precursors of an alarming process. As he explained, the position of African countries with relation to migration is beginning to prevail, while the countries of Europe are giving up their own interests.

“The standpoint of the African countries is that migration is the engine of economic growth and the foundation of global prosperity, and that accordingly the process should be organised, not stopped”, he said.

According to Mr. Szijjártó, the countries of Europe have also begun to adopt this approach while giving up the interests of their own citizens and totally ignoring the associated security risks.

“We will not be accessories to this and are firmly going against the European intent to change the makeup of Europe’s population”, the Foreign Minister stressed, adding that “this process involves the selling off of European culture and security, which is something Hungary cannot support”.

The Minister also called on European institutions not to make any kind of commitment relating to migration in view of next year’s European Parliament elections, because in his opinion that would be extremely undemocratic.

“The people of Europe must be given the right to decide themselves what they think about the future of the continent”, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised.

(MTI)