Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said Hungary is unable and unwilling to take back any migrants, but is ready to help with moving illegal migrants back to Greece.
The prime minister made the revelation following talks with German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, leader of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, in Berlin.
What’s more, during telephone negotiations on Tuesday evening, PM Orbán and Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz agreed that Hungary will not conclude any bilateral agreement on migrants with Germany until an agreement is reached between Austria and Germany.
The prime minister is confirming this fact in a meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Thursday.
According to government sources, PM Orbán emphasized that Hungary’s position had been “straightforward and honest” from the onset of the migration crisis, “even if it may be uncomfortable”.
“We’ve had the same position since 2015: given that the Balkan route goes through Greece, there hasn’t been a single migrant who first entered the EU through Hungary,” PM Orbán said.
“We don’t want to — nor can we — take anyone back, but we are ready to help with moving illegal migrants back to Greece,” he added.
PM Orbán and Seehofer were also in agreement that Hungarian-Bavarian relations were at an all-time high. The prime minister added that the broad economic cooperation between Hungary and Bavaria has been expanded to cover the defense industry as well.
The two officials concluded that there was a “huge opportunity” before Christian democracy, because “it is becoming increasingly clear to Europeans that only Christian Democrats are capable of protecting jobs, borders and Europe’s cultural identity”.