Orbán: Too many immigrants would be ‘end of Europe’
It is the responsibility of Hungary to show strength in protecting its borders and a bad idea to agree to taking a certain quota of refugees, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said this morning in his fortnightly interview with state-owned Kossuth radio. “We can’t let everyone in, this would be the end of Europe,” he said.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán speaking on the radio this morning. (MTI)
During his meeting with top officials in Brussels yesterday, Orbán said, he asked if they could come up with any better alternatives to the wire fence on the Hungarian-Serbian border, but they could not suggest a better solution.
Orbán said his issue with setting quotas for the number of refugees that each European Union country must take is that it will only serve to aggravate the problem. “How can the quota system be a solution?” he asked. “Will they stop at the border? Will no more more come? Will there be less of them?”
This year, hundreds of thousands have come to Europe, but next year this number could rise to millions, Orbán noted, adding that many will come from safe areas and not war-torn countries. “We can’t let everyone in, this would be the end of Europe,” Orbán said. “If you are wealthy and attractive, you also need to be strong.”
Orbán said his concern regarding the arrival of large numbers of refugees is the fear that his children will not be able to live in the kind of Hungary that that is a progression of a nation with a 1,000-year old history. He added that he does not want to follow the example of Germany or France, where vast numbers of refugees are being allowed into the country.
The prime minister said he blames the refugees’ overwhelming desire to travel on to Germany and not stay in Hungary as a communication breakdown originating in Germany, and added that this is the reason for the current chaotic situation at Budapest’s Keleti Railway Station.
Orbán also announced during the broadcast that the government will launch an information campaign tomorrow, by means of flyers and videos, which will inform refugees of the risks involved in entering Hungary illegally as of September 15.
Parliament is today discussing a new package of laws that would allow for tougher enforcement of border regulations. If passed, that legislation would go into effect on September 15.
This is the first radio program with the prime minister following a summer break.
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