According to Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács, the opposition parties in Hungary launched a scaremongering campaign on the issue of migration, while international organisations claim that this is a grave problem which is becoming increasingly severe and which needs to be addressed on its merits.

The Government Spokesperson highlighted in the Friday morning programme of the M1 news channel: political figures throughout Europe stress that the issue of migration must be resolved, while the opposition parties in Hungary effectively say nothing.

Mr Kovács pointed out: it is not the Government that has created an issue out of the problem. According to asylum reports, also at this point in time, millions of people are on the road, mostly towards Europe. Various organisations of the European Union have demonstrated on the basis of absolute figures that Hungary is among the first five most affected European States, while it is in second place as regards the number of asylum-seekers falling on one thousand persons and the burdens it has in relation to its GDP. Additionally, the UN’s organisation for refugees, too, claims that from among the countries of the world, Hungary is in the first ten, the Government Spokesperson added.

The Government Spokesperson also drew attention to the fact that more than 53,000 people arrived in Hungary illegally in the first five months of the year. Experiences of recent periods show that a considerable majority of illegal migrants abuse the legal options they are granted by Hungary and the European Union.

It was in the wake of this that the Government initiated a national consultation on the issues of migration, Mr Kovács said, adding that more than 550,000 questionnaires have been sent back to the Government to date. Based on the answers processed, the majority of people, 75-80, or as much as 90 per cent of the people expect more straightforward, tougher and firmer action against illegal migrants.

The Government Spokesperson wished Major Sándor Kádár, the pilot of the Gripen aircraft which sustained an accident on Wednesday, a swift recovery in the programme of the M1 news channel, and added that the pilot had „acted in an exemplary manner”.

Mr Kovács said that they are expecting the Defence Minister’s report on the Gripen accidents which have occurred in the past month for the cabinet meeting to be held next Wednesday. The report must uncover whether there is any connection between the two accidents, and further whether they jeopardise the defence of the airspace of Hungary and later undertakings, including the defence of the airspace of the Baltic States, the Government Spokesperson said, and added that at this point in time, they believe there is no risk of this eventuality.

(Prime Minister's Office/MTI)