Interviewed by Latvian commercial channel TV24, commissioner Nils Muiznieks had said that under Hungary’s new migrant regulations all illegal entrants, including women and children, would be automatically detained, which is against European human rights conventions and would also set a “bad example” for the whole region.

In his interview, Muiznieks also recalled a visit to Hungary 18 months ago, when he said he had seen asylum-seekers chained together and “treated as the worst criminals”.

In response, Szijjártó said that Muiznieks “does not like Hungary” and “has been making false claims” about the country for years. “He is into the human rights of everybody, but he is not interested in the right of Hungarians to security”, he added.

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

MTI photo: Balogh Zoltán