All policies in Europe should serve to restore the security of Europeans, he said.

The EU must take action against terrorism and terrorists instead of punishing those who try to stop the wave of migrants and introduce real measures to protect the people of Europe, he added. In order to defeat the threat of terrorism, illegal migration must be fully stopped, Szijjártó said.

Only those people who do not pose a threat to European society should be allowed to enter Europe and only those who are eligible in line with the current regulations should be allowed to stay, he added.

The minister said an emotional and heated debate, at times personal, emerged regarding the standpoint of Hungary and Austria that asylum applications should be decided on outside the EU.

Hungary and Austria maintain that it is necessary to set up reception centres maintained by the EU which register the refugees and migrants.

Those against this proposal place inclusion above security and argue in support of mandatory migrant quotas, he said. Hungary and Austria have also proposed that non-EU countries should be eligible for development support only if they fully cooperate on migration issues and make every effort to stop the flow of migrants, he said.

According to EU sources, Luxembourg and Germany are the strongest opponents of this latter proposal. Szijjártó said that until a consensus is reached on these issues Europe will be unable to win the fight against terrorism.

In the crossfire of international criticism, Hungary has built two fences, introduced stricter laws, and sent police and soldiers to the southern borders of Schengen and to the countries of the Western Balkans, he noted.

The EU should also take resolute action, and instead of attacking those who act against illegal migration, it should help them, Szijjártó added.

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

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