In an interview with public TV channel M1, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said that Hungary shares the opinion that the EU is the victim of migration and not the cause, in the sense that it must deal with the situation in some way.

The problem must be treated at its root, at its source, he said, adding that at every international forum the Hungarian government has expressed the same standpoint: the reasons for the refugees’ departure must be eliminated in Sub-Saharan Africa and in the Middle East – although this is not an easy task to accomplish.

In relation to the recently launched national consultation on the topic, Mr. Kovács said that in February it had already been clear that there was a “need to discuss the issue of immigration and that of illegal migrants”. He emphasised that this dialogue is necessary not because “we reject these people”, but because new measures are needed to address the issue at EU and member state levels.

Talking about the increased flow of migrants witnessed over the last eighteen months, Mr. Kovács said that Europe – and within it Hungary – is faced with a problem to which its responses are clearly inadequate. There is no community regulation in place which could curb the numbers of immigrants arriving from outside Europe, and up until last Thursday there was not even any way of preventing these people from setting sail for Europe from North Africa.

(Prime Minister's Office/MTI)