Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has threatened to send illegal migrants to the center of Brussels unless the European Union stops pressuring Budapest and reimburses the costs of protecting the EU’s external borders.
“If Brussels continues to insist on its decision to punish us for defending the borders of the EU, they can get what they want. We will transport the illegal migrants who are banging on Hungary’s door to the main square in Brussels,” Orban said on X on Wednesday.
In September, Hungary and the Netherlands requested exemption from EU migration and asylum rules. However, the European Commission said member states cannot withdraw because the asylum law is binding. Hungary also said it was ready to file a lawsuit against the European Commission if it refuses to reimburse Budapest for the costs of protecting EU borders from illegal migrants.
After the European 2015 migration crisis, Hungary started to implement strict migration and asylum rules, which caused a lot of criticism in the EU. Since 2015, five infringement procedures relating to asylum policies have been opened by the European Commission against Hungary.
