Migration is encouraged and the business model of people smugglers is supported in Brussels, the foreign minister pointed out.

The fact that some migrants and human traffickers recently shot with automatic weapons not only at each other, but also at Hungarian border guards creates a completely new situation, so the international community should focus on dealing with the root causes of illegal immigration as soon as possible instead of encouraging it, according to the ministry, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said. on Thursday in Geneva.

At the panel discussion of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the head of the ministry first reported that Hungary is currently on the most active European immigration route, and therefore faces strong migration pressure.

He pointed out that about 275,000 illegal border crossing attempts were registered in Hungary last year, and 155,000 so far this year. He also emphasized that a completely new situation had arisen, with the authorities facing unprecedented aggression from immigrants and human smugglers, who in several cases not only attacked each other, but also the Hungarian border guards with automatic weapons.

We must finally make it clear that this type of phenomenon and behavior is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated, he stated.

Violation of borders should be considered a crime, an attack on national sovereignty, and should be dealt with accordingly, he added.

Péter Szijjártó then highlighted the government's responsibility for the protection of citizens and expressed the hope that the IOM can serve as a platform for reasonable dialogue, in contrast to the debate taking place in Brussels, during which "migration is encouraged and the business model of human traffickers is supported."

"The European Union practically functions as a magnet in terms of immigration. Instead of incentives, we finally have to deal with the root causes," he declared.

In the field of the latter, he mentioned economic challenges, armed conflicts, as well as challenges posed by food and water supply and climate change.

"Where there is war, we must create peace. Where there is an economic crisis, we have to launch development programs. Where there are difficulties with food and water supply, we must ensure access and transport," he listed.

He then emphasized that global cooperation must be strengthened in the fight against climate change. As he said, Hungary also plays its part in this, because the government does not see how to protect the Earth in its current form for future generations as a practical issue, but rather as a political issue.

In this connection, he also touched on the fact that our country is one of the twenty countries in the world that was able to increase its economic performance while reducing its emissions.

Finally, the minister stated that Hungary is still ready to support developing countries, for example in the form of various tied aid loans, scholarships, and development grants, so that the affected countries are able to modernize their economies, which can also help reduce emissions.

He also called on all participants to cooperate in dealing with the root causes and preventing new waves of migration, since, according to his words, these can pose serious challenges and dangers for many countries.

MTI