At a press conference, state secretary at the Hungarian Justice Ministry Pál Völner has said that “Hungary is committed to proceeding with the lawsuit it has launched against compulsory migration quotas, and in light of the terror threat its resolve is absolute”.
Mr. Völner declared that implementation of the permanent resettlement quota, which in any case seems practically unworkable, could be prevented through the action brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The compulsory resettlement quota was passed by the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council last year, and the lawsuit against it was filed by Hungary at the European Court of Justice on 3 December. The state secretary’s announcement came as a deadline expired at midnight on Thursday, after which EU Member States and the European Commission will be unable to become involved in Hungary’s submission to the Court.
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Mr. Völner said that no legislation should be adopted which is impossible to comply with or monitor, and the decision by the JHA Council also contravened international conventions, since those resettling would not be consulted.
He recalled that Slovakia has also brought an action against the quota, and he mentioned that Romania and the Czech Republic also voted against the decision when it was taken, while Finland abstained. He also added that Poland later changed its former position and then – following the terror attacks in Brussels – suspended its commitment to take in migrants under the compulsory quota.
He also mentioned that, in addition to the Commission, Greece and Italy have indicated their participation in the lawsuit, as “beneficiaries” of the decision, as well as France, Germany, Sweden and Luxemburg.
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The state secretary said he believes that it is clear that all pro-immigration forces in the EU have mobilised themselves, while at the same time he found it encouraging that the majority of Member States do not wish to participate in the lawsuit – i.e. they are not pro-immigration.
Mr. Völner added that the number of parties involved means that this will be a precedent-setting case. He thought the lawsuit has clearly contributed to blocking the implementation of resettlement quotas, as since then no decision prescribing the compulsory and continuous resettlement of migrants has been adopted.
He expressed the hope that the ten legal arguments formulated in the action filed by Hungary will provide a suitable basis for changing the decision on compulsory quotas.
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He also noted that sadly the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels have also confirmed the link between immigration and terrorism. He recalled that last year more than two million people entered Europe, most of them not subjected to any security checks.
Answering questions, the state secretary said that the action brought against compulsory quotas and the Hungarian referendum on the same issue will remain relevant until Hungary is given guarantees that in the future there will be no renewed efforts to make the quotas compulsory.
The state secretary indicated that in this case Hungary’s attitude is not based on suspicion or distrust, but on experience. He recalled that last summer the European Council of heads of state or government decided on taking in migrants on a voluntary basis; then, however, on 22 September the JHA Council of justice and home affairs ministers took a diametrically opposed decision, making resettlement compulsory.
Mr. Völner said that “Until the European Union provides a guarantee that it will not enter into this kind of legislation in the future or act in such a brazen manner, the referendum will be justified and necessary”.
He is convinced that the EU should take a decision supported by guarantees: “a final regulation” stipulating that the resettlement of migrants may only be voluntary.
(Ministry of Justice)
