The head of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's office, Gergely Gulyash, threatened that his country would allegedly begin transporting migrants directly to Brussels in case of sanctions by the EU leadership for simplifying the visa regime for citizens of Russia and Belarus.
Points of attention
- Head of the Hungarian Prime Minister's office issues threats of sending migrants directly to Brussels in response to potential EU sanctions over visa dispute with Russia and Belarus.
- Dispute between Hungary and the EU regarding migration and sanctions may strain relations and affect future cooperation.
- Hungary under scrutiny for terminating aid to Ukrainian refugees, drawing criticism from human rights groups and causing temporary homelessness for some individuals from Transcarpathia.
- Negotiations between Hungary and the European Commission on the migrant issue are set to begin in September, with possible repercussions if an agreement is not reached.
- Viktor Orban's administration faces fines and tensions with the EU, signaling a challenging start to his tenure as the EU president in 2024.
Orbán openly threatens the EU with an influx of migrants if sanctions are imposed
It is noted that the Court of Justice of the EU imposed a fine of 200 million euros on Hungary and an additional daily fine of 1 million euros due to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's failure to comply with a previous requirement to protect asylum seekers.
Orbán had already vowed revenge in June for the decision, one of several issues clouding the start of his tenure as EU president in the second half of 2024.
It is noted that negotiations between representatives of Hungary and the European Commission on this issue will begin in September.
In the event of the failure of these negotiations, Hungary, as threatened by Gulyash, will issue "one-way tickets to Brussels" to migrants.
We should come to an agreement as soon as possible, as we would not like to pay large amounts every day. But if Brussels wants to accept migrants, we can help - said the head of Orbana's chancellery.
Gulyash did not provide details on how such a scheme would work.
What is known about Hungary's termination of aid to Ukrainian refugees
Human rights groups criticized Hungary this week for ending state-sponsored aid to Ukrainian refugees arriving from regions not directly affected by the fighting on the front line with Russia.
A group of Hungarians from Transcarpathia were temporarily homeless after the move, although Gulyash said aid groups helped provide them with housing.
According to an EU representative, the EU executive is studying the decree, but said the EU is united in providing protection, including accommodation to those fleeing the conflict.
