In an interview with leading American daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Tuesday, 29 September Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned that the migration crisis is threatening Europe’s stability.
The Prime Minister was of the opinion that unless Europe is able to react in a decisive manner, the mass influx of migrants from the Middle East and Afghanistan will threaten destabilisation of the EU.
According to the WSJ, Mr. Orbán said that “Without having an international solution in Syria, there’s no chance to stop the flood”. He said he thinks that it would be wrong for the developed world to see this challenge as one which only affects Europe.
The Hungarian prime minister defended the erection of the border barrier along the Hungarian-Serbian border, as well as a new measure under which those entering Hungary without the required travel documents can receive prison sentences of up to three years.
The article also reported that while last year 42,000 people arrived in Hungary, this year 280,000 migrants have already crossed the borders illegally.
According to Mr. Orbán, the United States and other countries – such as wealthy Arab states – should also receive migrants, as the current crisis could easily destabilise Europe.
“It’s not difficult to imagine that one or two years from now the old political elite will be replaced by the radicals”, the Prime Minister told the WSJ.
He stood by the argument that Hungary does not need migrants, the majority of whom at present would be Muslim. In his view, the task is not to create new opportunities for these people far from their home countries, but to help them in establishing their livelihoods there. “Morally, this is the right thing to do”, he said.
In his interview, the Prime Minister also explained that Hungary must preserve its independence, and the country must have the ability to decide whether it wants to welcome other cultures or not.
The WSJ quoted the Prime Minister as saying that “Muslim culture is very strong; we don’t oppose it but we haven’t had those parallel societies that are not integrated into European values”.
