Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had “shrugged off … criticism and pushed ahead with an agenda that can be described only as institutionalized xenophobia.”

Szijjártó said Muizniek’s “ignorance and hatred of Hungary is astounding”. It is clear that “there is reality and then there is what Nils Muiznieks says.” The minister said that “with his astonishing lies” Muiznieks was criticising a country that observes all international laws.

Muiznieks also said in his article that the “protection of refugees has always been an integral part of the human rights project” both in Europe and across the world, and it was this that had “inspired an international solidarity movement” that helped about 200,000 Hungarian refugees in 1956.

Szijjártó said that by “drawing a parallel” between the “aggressive migration wave” facing Europe now and the hundreds of thousands of Hungarians who had fled the country as refugees in 1956, Muiznieks “desecrated the memories” of the victims of the anti-Soviet revolution and the refugees.

He said that Hungarian refugees had waited patiently in Austria for countries to take them in and respected the laws of their eventual host countries.

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