Hungary Considers Barrier to Stop Illegal Immigrants Entering the EU

Barrier would be erected on the nation’s southern border
ENLARGE
A boy holds a sign at a protest against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's immigration policy proposals in Budapest last month. On Friday, Mr. Orbán said his government will consider building a barrier on its southern border to stop illegal immigration. PHOTO: REUTERS


By MARGIT FEHER
June 12, 2015 1:10 p.m. ET

BUDAPEST—Hungary’s prime minister on Friday said his government will consider building a physical barrier on the nation’s southern border as part of his quest to stop illegal immigrants from entering the European Union.

Hungary shares its border in the south with non-EU member Serbia, where most illegal immigrants cross, and members Croatia and Romania.

Illegal immigrants entering Hungary have numbered 54,000 so far this year, more than in the whole of 2014. The government expects the number to rise to 130,000 by the end of this year. Hungary is usually a transit country for most of the illegal immigrants making their way from war-torn countries like Syria to the more affluent states like Germany and Austria.

In a drive to curb illegal immigration, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz Party, which has a firm majority in parliament, submitted a bill to lawmakers this week. It proposes that no illegal immigrant arriving in Hungary from a transit country that qualifies as a safe country would be considered as an asylum seeker. A safe country is where the immigrant doesn’t face any danger to their life, persecution or other imminent danger.

The government holds it weekly meeting Wednesday and Mr. Orbánin an interview with state radio on Friday said: “The cabinet will listen to the Interior Minister and we will take into account all the possible solutions, including the possibility of a complete physical barrier.”

Hungary fears Austria and Germany will send back as many as 15,000 asylum seekers who had entered the EU through Hungary. Sending these people back to where the legal process for seeking asylum was launched is possible under EU rules.

Passing the new law would permit Hungary to qualify the illegal immigrants as economic migrants only looking for a more affluent life, and expel them. Under current rules, Hungary must grant asylum to those who fear their life would be in danger in the country they are fleeing.

Mr. Orbán also suggested Friday that Greece’s status should be reinstated as a safe country for immigrants to enter the EU. Right now Greece isn’t considered as such because of the very poor conditions they can provide for immigrants, and many migrants travel on to enter the EU elsewhere, including Hungary.

“While half of Europe goes to Greece for a holiday, we deem it as an unsafe country. That’s absurd,” Mr. Orbán said.

The solution to immigration must be found somewhere around Greece’s shores, he added. He proposed that camps should be set up for immigrants outside the borders of the EU and then member countries could pick individually “who and how many” of them they want.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/hungary-...-eu-1434129054