“Although pressure is increasing continuously, Hungary does not wish to change its immigration policy”, Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér said at a meeting of the European Commission’s Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels on Thursday; the Ministry informed Hungarian news agency MTI about the Minister’s speech in a statement on Friday morning.

According to the statement, the main points on the agenda at the meeting of EU Interior Ministers were once again migration policy and terrorism.

During his speech and his various meetings, Hungarian Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér stressed: “The Hungarian Government can see that increasing pressure is being put on the country, but despite this, Hungary does not wish to alter its immigration policy”, citing the recent resolution by the European Parliament, the “threats with relation to the acceptance of the resettlement quota” on the part of the Commissioner for Migration, and the latest letter of formal notice from the European Commission.

According to the statement, within the framework of the previously launched infringement proceedings relating to refugee regulations the European Commission is objecting to the recently reinforced legal border barrier and the establishment of transit zones, which the Hungarian authorities have two months to reply to.

The Hungarian Government does not wish to alter its immigration policy and will continue to fulfil its EU commitments: it is protecting the Schengen borders, and accordingly it is not only protecting the people of Hungary, but also the security of European citizens. “In contrast to Brussels’ policy, we regard illegal migration as a danger”, in view of the fact that migration significantly increases the threat of terrorism, the Ministry of Interior’s statement reads.

“The goal of the legal border barrier and the transit zones is to reinforce security and stop illegal migration. Nobody in the transit zones is under arrest, because these facilities are open and can be left freely in the direction of Serbia; the Hungarian authorities are conducting asylum proceedings in the transit zones in accordance with EU regulations”, the statement stresses.

“The Hungarian Government wishes to maintain both the transit zones and the border security fence, and will continue to reject the mandatory resettlement of migrants. If the European Commission launches legal proceedings.

(MTI)