Hungary will continue to address the problems that trigger migration at the source, he said.

The minister said he had always pointed out that migrants are victims and that national security decisions should be made rationally and not based on hate.

The social integration of Hungary’s Roma community is a big enough task for the country that it would have a hard time dealing with the integration of migrants at the same time, Balog said.

The Roma integration strategy Hungary put together in 2011 was applauded throughout Europe, he said, adding that it would “not be good” if Hungary had to suspend its Roma integration strategy.

Answering a question, Balog said he was not trying to “play” Romas and migrants against each other, stressing that Hungary’s resources for socially integrating different communities were limited.

He said the European Commission had already recommended to Hungary that it should spend part of its EU funds for Roma inclusion on the integration of migrants, but without offering any additional funding for this.

The minister said the challenges countries like France and Germany had faced with the integration of their immigrants have prompted Hungary to “choose a different path”.

Although German Chancellor Angela Merkel conceded a few years ago that multiculturalism cannot work, Germany has become a multicultural society, Balog said.

Hungary has had 13 nationalities living together for centuries, and they were successfully integrated, he said, adding that the country has so far achieved both positive and negative results in the process of integrating its Roma community.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Koszticsák Szilárd