“The number of states that have changed their earlier standpoints on the issue of mass migration has increased, but despite this we are still in opposition of the mainstream and the Hungarian standpoint is under attack in several instances”, György Bakondi said on Kossuth Radio’s “180 Minutes” program.

The Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister added: “People who are calling for the protection of external borders, stopping mass, uncontrolled migration, or for the assessment of asylum requests in camps set up outside the European Union and the provision of assistance to countries in the crisis zone that are the source of migration, have appeared at the political leadership level of several countries”.

With relation to the latter, Mr. Bakondi said that “perhaps a major provision of aid is required, something of the order of magnitude of the Marshall Plan”, to enable the development of the job creation and population retention capabilities of source countries. This aid only affects the masses, but what is a much more difficult question is how it would be possible to stop people trafficking organisations, and convince those who believe that illegal, mass migration is “a good thing”, he explained.

The Chief Advisor also spoke about the fact that the second fence being constructed along the southern border and the Bill that is currently before Parliament on stricter procedures along the border will serve to prevent the “permeative method that exploits loopholes”, which migrants have been using in recent months.

Speaking on M1 Hungarian television’s morning current affairs program, Mr. Bakondi said with relation to the proposed legislative amendment that there are currently two transit zones operating along Hungary’s border with Serbia, and following the change in regulations people who submit requests for asylum will have to wait for a final ruling on their requests in one of these transit zones. This will do away with the loophole that has so far enabled asylum seekers to disappear within the country and travel on towards Western Europe without waiting for the completion of their asylum procedures, he explained.

He also announced that the expansion of the two transit zones has already begun, meaning they will hopefully have sufficient capacity to perform their expanded duties. Mr. Bakondi also indicated that migrants living in open camps inside the country would also be gradually moved back to the transit zones, where they will remain until a decision is made on their asylum requests.

(MTI)