Magyar said the government would not ease effective regulations on illegal migration, adding: "Recent weeks have shown that even the smallest legal change could breach the protection of Europe’s external borders." He said the government would work in the coming weeks to establish a lawful and functional system to protect both Hungary’s borders and Hungarians’ money.

He cited the recent border crisis in Ceuta, on the EU's external border in Africa, where tens of thousands of migrants tried to enter Spain from Morocco in a single day. People died at sea, and Spanish authorities had to mobilise extraordinary resources, all triggered by a Spanish Supreme Court decision. Human smuggling networks quickly recognised the new situation and attempted to exploit it, Magyar said, adding: "Ceuta is a warning to all of Europe."

Migration routes can shift in days, and human smugglers constantly look for weak points, he said. A single legal loophole or a poorly prepared policy change can create an unmanageable situation in a very short time, the prime minister added. "The Hungarian government cannot take such a risk."

Magyar called the situation "unfair". "While we are protecting Hungary's external borders and those of Europe, Europe is fining us for it," he said.

He said the government had been negotiating with EU institutions for months over new Hungarian regulations that would effectively protect the external borders of both Hungary and the EU while complying with EU law. However, EU institutions and legal experts have so far been unable to propose a solution guaranteeing Hungarian authorities can continue to act with the necessary strictness and efficiency, he added.

Since 2016, around 20 EU member states have come to support strict border protection, he said.

"It is unjust and unfair to penalise a border-protecting member state in 2026 for regulations adopted much earlier under completely different circumstances," he said.

In the video accompanying his post, Magyar explained that the legal framework for the crisis caused by mass immigration grants the state special powers. It allows police to escort foreign nationals who have entered the country illegally to the southern border and enables the armed forces to participate in border protection. The legislation also establishes special procedural rules for offences related to the border fence, he added.

Magyar noted that this Hungarian legal framework includes elements the Court of Justice of the European Union had previously ruled incompatible with EU law. The court's judgment imposed a one-off fine of 200 million euros on Hungary, as well as a daily fine of 1 million euros until the ruling is implemented. The cost of the legal dispute has so far reached nearly 1 billion euros, he said.

The previous government failed to resolve this contradiction for years, Magyar said. "It was easier to wage a war against Brussels, to seek out enemies on billboards, and to claim there were only two options: either we protect the border or we comply with European law," he added. "It was the Hungarian people who paid the price for this policy."

He pledged protection of Hungary's borders with no compromise on that. "We are committed to maintaining the southern border fence, strengthening border protection, and applying zero tolerance towards illegal immigration. However, it is also our responsibility to ensure Hungary does not have to pay out hundreds of billions," the prime minister said.

He noted that while current law allows the state of emergency to be extended by up to six months, the government deliberately decided to extend it by only four months on this occasion.

"This is an important distinction, and the time will be used to finalise -- in consultation with EU institutions -- new regulations that allow the southern border fence and strong border protection to remain, and our authorities to take effective action, while putting an end to the untenable situation where we are fined for protecting Europe's external borders," Magyar said. 

"The Hungarian people can be certain that we will not allow border protection to be weakened in any way," he said.

According to the official Hungarian Gazette, the government decree enters into force on Sept 6.

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

MTI photo 

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