The protection of the external borders constitutes one of the “cornerstones” of the Hungarian government’s policy. Since 2015, Hungary’s border protection has done everything to stop and filter those arriving in Europe at the Schengen border of the European Union, the Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister said on the public service television news channel M1 on Wednesday.

György Bakondi highlighted that we must only let in those who are eligible for political asylum. We must put an end to the approach that entering Europe with the assistance of people smugglers, illegally, by concealing one’s personal data, avoiding the controls of the authorities and disregarding national and EU laws is a pardonable sin because this will have serious consequences for Europe’s security, social care system, economic development and public health situation, he said.

According to Mr Bakondi, upon the development of the new migration pact, the EU will seek to take into consideration the experiences and conclusions of illegal immigration that has been ongoing since 2015, but the main question is how the pact will approach the issue of mandatory resettlement quotas. Hungary will not accept any mandatory resettlement quotas, he stated.

On Kossuth Radio’s programme ‘Good morning, Hungary,’ the chief advisor highlighted that there was significant migration pressure on the Serbian, Romanian and at times the Croatian border sections. This year, more than 23,000 illegal border-crossers and 285 people smugglers have been apprehended in Hungary, Mr Bakondi said.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)