The questionnaires containing 12 questions will be mailed to all citizens aged over 18—altogether 8 million people—from early May, and expected to be returned by the deadline of July 1, he said. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told Kossuth Rádió that Europe must protect its borders, and enforce serious police and military measures to this effect.

The prime minister said that it is not enough to defend the borders of Europe but policies must be put in place to help stoke a desire in potential refugees to stay in their homelands. The opposition Együtt party said that there was no need for a national consultation on illegal migration. Such a consultation would be a waste of taxpayer money.

The Hungarian Liberal Party said it saw no reason for a national consultation, arguing that the prime minister should instead discuss the issue with his European colleagues and migration experts.

Radical nationalist party Jobbik said it welcomed the government’s “recognition” of the importance of tackling immigration, but this can only be done by more effective border control.

This view is that contrary to the “dreams” expressed by the government spokesman earlier, Dániel Kárpát, Jobbik’s group leader, said. Jobbik believes that Hungary should make its open reception centres closed and it should reinstate the border guard service, which was earlier merged with the police.

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