No government is ready to "round up" migrants already within the borders and expel them from the EU, he said. "The only migrants who won't stay are the ones we...
The European Union's inconsistent approach to member states' border control measures has never been more evident—or more troubling.
Hungary is preparing to take significant action to address illegal migration, following the Netherlands in seeking an exemption from European Union migration and asylum rules.
The foreign minister said Hungary was being punished for protecting its borders, and yet "no one says a word about" the fact that Germany has closed the internal Schengen borders.
György Bakondi said the fact that some migrants were carrying knives or guns showed that illegal migration posed a threat to the county's security.
EU foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the state of Europe.
For almost a decade, Hungary has protected the EU’s external border, spending more than 2 billion euros of its own money to meet its Schengen obligations.
The state secretary said the EU needed to take action against illegal migration.
Gergely Gulyás said the protection of the Schengen Area’s external borders “is important for the whole of Europe, and not just protecting Hungary from migration.”
Authorities apprehended 70 people on the southern border this past weekend and more than 3,700 migrants have been caught so far this year.
“We will not allow Hungary to become a country of migrants,” said Barna Pál Zsigmond.
Bence Rétvári said Hungary will continue to protect the EU’s external borders, adding that the country “does not accept” the European Court of Justice ruling against Hungary for actions taken against migration.
The tragic death of Mateusz Sitek, a Polish soldier stabbed while repairing a border fence with Belarus, underscores the severe challenges faced by European countries in controlling their borders against organized, armed gangs.