The situation with regard to illegal migration is becoming more and more difficult, the numbers and facts are becoming more and more alarming, yet not enough attention is directed to this problem, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the joint press conference with the Austrian Chancellor and the Serbian President. The Hungarian Prime Minister emphasized that the three countries protect not only their own borders, but the whole of Europe. Now the primary line of defense is the Serbian-Hungarian border, but it is in everyone's interest to move it further south.
We are grateful to Serbia that their president came, and we are grateful to Austria that their chancellor is here with us - Prime Minister Viktor Orbán began the press conference.
He explained that the current Hungarian-Serbian-Austrian summit is the beginning of a longer series of negotiations.
„What we came together for is migration. Here are the leaders of three countries that are most affected by this issue. Controlling this consumes a lot of energy, life force and huge sums of money, while we are not at all satisfied with the situation that has developed ”
- said the Hungarian Prime Minister. He added that they had to establish that the border guards of the Serbs, the border guards of the Hungarians and the police and soldiers protecting the Austrian border are conducting a heroic struggle against illegal migrants and people smugglers.
"The situation is getting more difficult, the numbers and facts are getting more and more alarming"
Viktor Orbán emphasized. He explained that, while there are other pressing problems in the world, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war and skyrocketing electricity and gas prices due to the energy crisis, not enough attention is paid to migration, even though it is at least as important an issue as the other two.
"We have now made an attempt to face the situation and develop measures. Hungary initiated this meeting because we are in the most special situation. We have a migration problem from two directions. As a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war, more than one million refugees arrived from the eastern direction, from Ukraine, while our border is also under constant siege from the southern direction," said the Prime Minister.
The economic downturn and food crisis caused by the war and sanctions will also increase the illegal migration pressure
- pointed out the Prime Minister. He stated that: the Western Balkan route is the most seriously affected route.
According to the prime minister, the activity of people smugglers and illegal migrants has reached a new level, they are now using sharp weapons among themselves and against the border guards.
These three countries protect not only themselves, but the whole of Europe, as Hungary fulfills its obligations arising from Schengen membership.
"The goal is to push the defense line as far south as possible. It is in the interest of all of us that this line goes even further south"
- pointed out the prime minister, who recalled: our country has already provided assistance to Austria, Serbia and North Macedonia, but further measures are needed.
Viktor Orbán indicated that there will soon be a next meeting in Belgrade, where the specific steps will be discussed and, if there is a measure, the conditions. After that, according to their plans, there will be a third meeting on further steps, in Vienna.
Serbian President Vucic thanked Viktor Orbán for the exceptional welcome and noted that
the Hungarian Prime Minister always has the courage and strength to raise important regional issues.
He said that all important issues were reviewed at the meeting, both regarding migration and the energy sector and the financial situation, since all three countries are seriously affected by these issues. He emphasized that
autumn and winter will not be easy, in fact, he sees that even the following winter will present difficult tasks to the European countries.
The Serbian president emphasized that the number of illegal migrants is increasing, and more and more people are coming to Seriba from Russia: a total of 17,000 people have arrived from the Russian Federation and Ukraine so far, and this only means those who have received a one-year residence permit. This puts a huge burden on a small country like Serbia.
Vucic also spoke about the fact that from January 1, they will be faced with the visa policy of the EU, which means that it will be more difficult to travel to Western countries.
"We are trying to help the competent police forces of all three countries with this joint work and cooperation. In a few days in Belgrade, we will consider what our joint agreement should be, based on which an action plan will be drawn up, and how we will be able to implement it," he said. He added that
Serbia will be a reliable partner in this cooperation, which he is convinced will be successful, so that the three countries can help each other, whether it is about gas shortages, food shortages or the issue of migration.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said at the press conference that the meeting is an important event for Austria, as the issue of migration affects the Austrians in the same way as Hungary and Serbia.
The goal is to do everything to stop illegal migration
- emphasized the Austrian chancellor about the meeting. International police cooperation was also highlighted by the chancellor, who also thanked the countries for cooperation.
Karl Nehammer said that these conferences will be used to help Serbia reduce migration pressure on the North Macedonian-Serbian border.
The chancellor also spoke about the energy crisis that is particularly affecting Europe, explaining that price increases and inflation increase the burden on the population. And this is also the case with migration, which they can only act against together.
When asked how the Western Balkan line could be relieved, Viktor Orbán said that three things should be done: the first is that the defense line, which cannot be crossed, should be pushed as far south as possible. This is now on the Serbian-Hungarian border, which is not good for Serbia at all, and we are not happy about it either. The first goal should be to strengthen the Serbian-North Macedonian border.
The second thing to do is to return those who are in our countries illegally to where they came from. This requires a lot of work and financial resources, which the union could really take on, since it is in our common interest. We would like the union to do better here.
The third thing to do – and this is the most difficult part – is to create a hotspot, i.e. a refugee center outside the EU. If we were to say that asylum applications can only be submitted in areas outside the territory of the European Union, and that it is not possible to enter the Union until these applications have been judged, then our problems would be solved - explained Viktor Orbán, who says that there is a great deal of debate about this issue, and as long as this debate will not be resolved, migrants will continue to flow in until then.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic declared that Serbia is trying to preserve its own peace and that of other countries. He noted:
the situation is much more serious than people realize.
All that we have done well in the past ten years, we have developed the economy and industry, for example we have a cooperation balance sheet of three billion with Hungary, but all of this can be destroyed in six months. And it's not our fault. The question is not whether we will have enough gas for the population, but what will happen to the companies? What if companies can't produce? There will be no purchasing power, shops will close. The public finances also suffer huge losses. We are much poorer than, for example, the Germans. We can only solve the situation if we support residential and energy prices in general. We don't see how long this serious situation will last. What we can do is give each other a helping hand. The situation is difficult, but it is much easier when we know that we have friends to help us.
Viktor Orbán emphasized: the transport routes coming from the east have been paralyzed or will be paralyzed. Be it transport, energy or gas. He stated
Serbia should be seen as Hungary's most important partner, since we can only go east and south through it.
We strive for the closest cooperation, be it financial, economic or energy matters - he underlined, adding: we are grateful to the Serbs, because the gas that ensures Hungary's supply comes through them.
Regarding our energy reserves, the prime minister said: we have enough to run the country for five or six months, and as long as we have it, Serbia will also have gas. "We will not forget that they also helped us, " he noted.
Viktor Orbán also emphasized the importance of the Belgrade-Budapest railway line, because it is the joint venture through which we can reach the eastern markets. He indicated: the two countries also want to connect the systems of large energy suppliers from the ownership side.
The Prime Minister said that the announcement that Germany would help its own companies with hundreds of billions of euros was a bombshell.
"There is no common fund, the rich will help their companies with enormous sums, and the poor will not know. This is the beginning of cannibalism, which will destroy European unity" -
stated Viktor Orbán.
When asked by a journalist what message Hungary and Austria are sending to Brussels with the joint agreement, the Austrian chancellor said, among other things, that two countries that look back on several centuries of common history stand by each other in good times and bad. He said that it also sends a message that it is time for the European Commission to take the necessary steps to create a real protection against migration, and should conclude return agreements with the countries from which the migrants come. He emphasized:
there is an urgent need to think about how to change the asylum system in the EU, because it has failed, and the nation states have to bear the consequences.
Reflecting on the same question, Viktor Orbán said that the name Austrians and Hungarians use for each other is apt: we are brothers-in-law. Austrian-Hungarian relations have always been pragmatic, this is our most important message.
The era has come when ideological questions must be put aside. We don't need ideologies, but concrete solutions, added the Hungarian Prime Minister.
In response to a journalist's question about the repatriation agreements, the Austrian chancellor said: he fully supports them. However, the system still needs to be developed, as countries will only be ready to readmit their own citizens if it is beneficial for them as well.
We have to learn how we can create a mutually profitable situation, which can also mean positive developments for the EU, it is enough if we think of, for example, investment or education projects, he added. He emphasized: the system will be most effective if the entire European Union economic zone signs these repatriation agreements.
Source: MTI / hirado.hu
Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/Zoltán Fischer
