The Government of Hungary will resort to all available remedial options under law to prevent the enforcement of a mandatory EU quota system in response to migration, the Minister of State of the Ministry of Interior stressed at his press conference held in Eger on Wednesday.

“We have protected our southern borders; now, however, Hungary is facing a threat from the West with the introduction of the mandatory quotas”, Károly Kontrát stated.

He stressed: with the closure of the Hungarian-Serbian and Hungarian-Croatian borders, the number of immigrants in the country has diminished to a minimal level; however, the mandatory migrant quotas approved by the European Union in September have put Hungary at risk once again. Based on the decision, EU Member States would be required to distribute and take in 260,000 refugees over a period of two years, which the Government is opposed to in the interest of the protection of the Hungarian people, he added.

The Government of Hungary will resort to all available remedial options under law to prevent this, the Minister of State pointed out.

He added: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán consulted with the leaders of the parliamentary groups earlier, and if the Government receives authorisation from Parliament, they will submit an appeal against the EU decision by 4 December.

Mr Kontrát said: the Hungarian model is working, the Hungarian people are safe. With the closure of the southern borders and the amendment of the Penal Code, the number of illegal migrants has been reduced to a minimum since 15 September. According to the latest October data, this effectively means one or two persons a day, he said.

At the press conference, Ministerial Commissioner for Developments Zsolt Nyitrai stressed: we are witnessing a global phenomenon which was not caused by the Hungarian people, but which nonetheless afflicted them most. This is why Hungary was compelled to find individual solutions to the problem which is not only a national but also a local issue as, with the introduction of the mandatory quotas, refugees who are turned back may scatter around the country, he added.

(Ministry of Interior)