He attributed this leading position to Hungary’s “geographically sensitive location” and the fact that the country had become the centre of “current European battles”.

This happened in 1956 and in 1989, he said, adding that “It is up to us to halt the threatening mass migration from the south at Europe’s borders”. Uncontrolled immigration is a real threat, he wrote. “Indeed, this is only the tip of the iceberg.”

The real pressures will come when “many millions from the middle of Africa also get on the move”. The prime minister said it was obvious that the migrants making their way to Germany, Austria and Sweden were not refugees but people searching for a better standard of living.

“At the same time, as Christians, our relationship to migrants is such that we see them as victims”. “They are victims of local conflicts and the liberal European policies that make them believe that they can come here and here they’ll find Canaan,” Orbán wrote, adding that the policies of Brussels were to blame.

The prime minister highlighted the danger of deteriorating public security and consequences for the social and health-care systems, the economy and the country’s culture.

He added that the migrants currently arriving in Europe would not solve the problem of a skills shortage on the labour market. “If we truly want to help, then the help must be taken over there rather than bringing the trouble over here,” he wrote.

Orbán said that whenever it came to matters of a historic magnitude, such as the decision to join the EU and NATO, then popular votes were held in the country.

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

MTI photo: Koszticsák Szilárd