edited: APC        photo: MTI:Molnár Edvárd

BUDAPEST, May 3rd – Hungary has refused to ratify a European-African statement stating the ‘welfare of migration for development’, which was adopted at a ministerial conference in Morocco, attended by 60 European and African countries.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Sijatro said that the declaration is “extremely pro-migrant” and that it is not in accordance with the interests of Hungary ”

“Migration is presented as a necessary good and useful phenomenon that contributes to the development of the world, and we think that this approach is unbalanced and does not approve it,” said Sijatro and further said that this declaration will contribute to further stimulating the migration and create new migrant routes instead to focus on how to jointly stop migration.
According to him, African countries see migrations as the engine of economic growth, the foundation of global prosperity, and a process that should be organized and not stopped.
European countries, he said, also began to adopt this position by giving up the interests of their citizens and ignoring the security risks of migration, according to the MTI

“We will not be accomplices in this and we will firmly challenge the European intention to change the composition of the population on the European continent,” said Sijarto

At the same time, the Hungarian media announced that the ruling Fidesz party intends to incorporate a dredge into the Hungarian Constitution that would make it impossible for the European Union to force this country to accept immigrants.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had the idea to do so in 2016, but he did not have a two-thirds majority in parliament at the time, but after recent elections, Orban has full control over the legislative body and is expected to put this controversial provision in the constitution.

The “Morocco Policy Statement”, followed by the Action Plan, seeks “a human rights-based approach”, “protect vulnerable migrants” and the development of communication that will enable the suppression of “xenophobia, racism and discrimination.”

The text also includes the part dedicated to the fight against illegal migration and assistance to the return of refugees and migrants, which are crucial issues for Europeans who are struggling with the unprecedented refugee crisis.

The migration issue “must not be reduced to illegal immigration,” Moroccan Foreign Minister Naser Bourt said, urging european countries not to remain “in control of the borders and suppressing the smuggling of migrants”.

Morocco, who is dealing with the migration issue in the African Union, is to host the UN International Conference on Migration in December.