“Despite all the talk of European solidarity in Brussels, when the time comes to actually contribute to humanitarian costs and expenses they refuse to do so”, the Ministry of Human Capacities’ Parliamentary State Secretary Bence Rétvári said with reference to caring for refugee children in an interview with Hungarian daily Magyar Hírlap published on Monday.

“The Károlyi István Child Care Centre in Fót accommodates and cares for minors of non-Hungarian citizenship who arrive in Hungary without an accompanying adult, 99 percent of whom are boys and 95 percent of whom claim to be between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. Their numbers vary; there are currently 80-100 minors at the Centre but during the past year Fót has often cared for 300 non-Hungarian minors simultaneously”, the State Secretary said.

“Brussels has a separate migration fund, but a recent request from the Hungarian Government asking Brussels to contribute 3.6 billion forints (EUR 11.4M) to the related costs and expenses has been rejected by those in charge”, Mr. Rétvári highlighted, adding that “Nine thousand non-Hungarian minors arrived in Hungary without adult accompaniment last year alone”.

(MTI)