Hungary and Slovakia rejected this Wednesday the agreement on the migration and asylum pact reached this morning by the 27 member states of the European Union, with Budapest refusing to contribute to the mandatory solidarity mechanism.
“We reject this migration pact in the strongest possible way. No one can determine who can enter Hungary, only us,” said the head of Hungarian diplomacy, Péter Szijjártó, at a press conference held in Budapest, after a meeting with his Slovak counterpart. Juraj Blanár.
Szijjártó demanded that “the Brussels elite stay away from this issue” and stop trying to impose immigration measures that the Government of the Central European country rejects.
In a message published on the 2024 social network.
The agreement implies that the principle of “solidarity and fair distribution of responsibilities between the Member States is determined by binding European legislation,” explained the president of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament, Juan Fernando López Aguilar. .
“No one can determine with whom the citizens of Hungary should live”, a country that opposes “in the most determined way” the payment of fines for its refusal to receive immigrants under a principle of redistribution of the 27, briefly highlighted the Hungarian minister. later, in a position that coincides with that of his Slovak counterpart.
“We are completely opposed to the European Union interfering in the sovereign affairs of Slovakia. This is not an issue in which the EU has powers. We will not agree to this,” Blanár said.
Under the terms of the agreement, the first EU country a migrant or refugee enters remains responsible for processing their case, but a new solidarity mechanism has been created between member states that determines that some migrants will be resettled in other countries. of the EU.
If these countries refuse to accept immigrants, they will have to pay a financial contribution.
In exchange, the new rules will allow the construction of asylum centers in southern European countries, where most migrants arrive, with the aim of processing arrivals in just 12 weeks and immediately expelling those who do not meet the requirements. to enter.
The agreement must still be formalized and adopted before the European elections to be held by the 27 countries of the community bloc between June 6 and 9.
Source: TSF
