“Hungary is showing solidarity towards people who are suffering and in need, and also with those who are protecting European values”, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, György Bankondi said on Friday evening in Mosonmagyaróvár during the nationwide roadshow on the National Consultation, where he spoke about migration pressure.

Mr. Bankoni told those present that, among others, Hungary is sending assistance to Macedonia to help in the battle against illegal immigration, and had constructed a fence along Hungary’s southern border, to protect Europe.

“People in transit zones can await the completion of asylum proceedings in orderly conditions”, he said.

“Why Hungary’s fence is different from that of Spain, Austria or France, for instance, is another issue entirely”, he said, adding that this kind of doublespeak “represents an unprecedented series of attacks against Hungary”.

In Europe they have “used all of the trump cards at their disposal to tarnish the reputation of the country before European public opinion that is sensitive to such issues, whereas the Government is only protecting Hungary and the EU”, Mr. Bakondi said.

As an example, he mentioned the fact that the Helsinki Committee launched legal proceedings at the European Court of Human Rights with relation to two migrants from Bangladesh whose asylum requests had been rejected. “Hungary lost the case, the official reason for the ruling being that it had considered the fact that if it sends them back to Serbia then that could set off a wave of deportations, and they could eventually end up back in Greece, where migrants are being treated inhumanely”, the Chief Security Advisor said.

“And the Helsinki Committee sent a message to the Government that if it does not demolish its border security fence then it will take the country to court”, he added. According to Mr. Bakondi, we have reached a stage where “Hungary can be freely threatened with regard to various issues”.

“Hungary will not be a “transit point”, and if needed will also build a fence along its border with Romania”, he declared, adding that relations with the Romanian authorities are very good and illegal immigrants apprehended on the Hungarian-Romanian border, 2-3 every day, are being reaccepted by Romania.

“The Government’s standpoint is consistent and clear”, he said explaining that “if a country decides to accept migrants to remedy their labour shortages or for whatever reason, then they are of course free to do so and this is something that Hungary is not interfering in, but what we would not like is for illegal immigrants to be sent back to Hungary or for someone sitting behind a desk in Brussels to decide how many people we must accept”.

“It is clear that the EU is not really protecting itself, but national states are doing so through reinforcing their police forces and secret services, increasing their spheres of competence and maintaining internal border controls”, he continued.

Mr. Bakondi also noted that some 900 thousand people had returned their National Consultation questionnaires by Friday morning.

(MTI)