Key Takeaways
- Hungarian PM Viktor Orban threatens to send migrants to the center of Brussels if the EU doesn’t stop pressuring Budapest and reimburse border protection costs.
- Hungary and the Netherlands requested exemption from EU migration and asylum rules, but the European Commission said member states cannot withdraw.
- Hungary has implemented strict migration and asylum rules since 2015, causing criticism in the EU and five infringement procedures against the country.
Moscow: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has threatened to send illegal migrants to the center of Brussels unless the European Union stops pressuring Budapest and reimburses the costs of protecting the EU’s external borders.
“If Brussels continues to insist on its decision to punish us for defending the borders of the EU, they can get what they want. We will transport the illegal migrants who are banging on Hungary’s door to the main square in Brussels,” Orban said on X on Wednesday.
In September, Hungary and the Netherlands requested exemption from EU migration and asylum rules. However, the European Commission said member states cannot withdraw because the asylum law is binding. Budapest will seek reimbursement for protecting EU borders from illegal migrants.
Following the 2015 European migration crisis, Hungary implemented strict migration and asylum rules, sparking significant criticism within the EU. Since 2015, five infringement procedures relating to asylum policies have been opened by the European Commission against Hungary.
