The European Commission has approved Hungary’s multi-annual National Programme of the Internal Security Fund, thus EU funds of EUR 61.4 million will be made available to Hungary.

Together with funding of EUR 24.1 million allocated to Hungary from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund in March 2015 and the country’s twenty-five per cent co-financing share, over the next seven years developments totalling HUF 33 billion may be realised in Hungary.

The European Union established the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Internal Security Fund for the 2014–2020 period in order to facilitate the uniform management of internal affairs subsidies. The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund finances developments related to the common European migration system and facilitates effective measures against illegal migration.

The aim of the Internal Security Fund is to support the fight against serious cross-border organised crime, and it provides help in protecting citizens and critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks and other security events. It also contributes to strengthening border controls at the EU’s external borders, and these borders’ increased protection. By further developing visa procedures it also promotes legal entry and it supports efforts directed at managing illegal migration.

In order to ensure the earliest possible use of the funds, on 30 June 2015 the Ministry of Interior published the approximately HUF 2.1 billion call for proposals related to the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. The second phase of the call for proposals (valued at around HUF 3 billion) is expected in the second half of 2015. The calls for the Internal Security Fund will be announced in September 2015.

(Ministry of Interior)